


A Little Bit of Pain Never Hurt Anybody.

by EvenstarSelene



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Iroh/Reader, Ozai/Reader, Readercentric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-02-20 23:40:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 18
Words: 30,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2447339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvenstarSelene/pseuds/EvenstarSelene
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are a servant in the Fire Nation's royal palace during the reign of Fire Lord Azulon.</p><p>What happens when both Princes develop a deep fascination with you?<br/>One is noble and proud, the other sadistic and selfish.<br/>You find yourself trapped in a web of seemingly endless pain, powerless to stop it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Between two Princes.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! I hope you like my story!  
> Anyway, I just want to jot down a couple of notes for this story. 
> 
> First off, in my girly little imagination, Iroh the first in this story is handsome and looks almost exactly like Iroh the younger from the Legend of Korra, and I imagine that Ozai looks like a more psychopathic scarless Zuko.  
> In my story, Iroh is about 28-29, so younger than LoK Iroh, and Ozai is about Zuko's age from atla.
> 
>  
> 
> And you well....
> 
> You're just an irresistible little fox, aren't cha?
> 
> I know that these kind of reader-centric stories aren't the most popular, but I'm giving it a try.  
> I have many other character x reader stories and if this gets a response, I'll post some more stories in the future.
> 
> Enjoy my tale!  
> Please comment of you wish, love is much appreciated, and hey, so is the h8.  
> Now, enough chattering!  
> Selene the Evenstar presents:

Ozai takes a quick look around the dark corridors of the palace, making sure that nobody was around before setting foot out of his room.  
All was clear, and with the poise and hard-learned grace of a prince, he set off in search of somebody who had recently piqued his interest, a lovely servant girl that he had hardly paid any attention to before, who had recently become very, very interesting to him. The girl's shy eyes captivated the prince, who was determined to explore more closely this new pretty toy. A sharp smirk creased his perfectly shaped lips. Tonight he would revel in his conquest, no matter what. 

 

You wipe some sweat from your brow as you finish washing prince Iroh's ceremonial robes in the laundry pool of the palace. You wring out all of the water that you possibly can, and breathe a sigh of relief when you see that your daily labors are finally finished and you can go back to the servant's wing and rest. You hang prince Iroh's robes on a line to dry, and put everything back where it was supposed to be before pulling on the ribbon that's holding your hair in a ponytail, letting your ________ colored locks fall around your shoulders. 

"Ahhh…" You sigh as you run your fingers through your hair, massaging your scalp to relieve some stress of the day.  
You walked towards the servant's wing calmly and slowly, knowing that by this time of night, most people were asleep, but you had to stay up late to get ahead of some chores, the most important of which was getting prince Iroh's robes nicely washed for his important ceremony in the morning. You blush at the thought of the crown prince. He's so kind, so humble and handsome, you can't help but have an innocent crush on him. You smile with hope at the though that someday that man would inherit the throne. You knew that it was impossible, but the crown prince occupied your mind, especially that soft smile he always offered you when he passed you by in the palace, when it was your turn to serve the royal family their meals.

You were walking and thinking happily as you approached the servant's dormitories, that you didn't notice somebody was watching you. 

"There you are…"

From the shadows of the palace, prince Ozai watched you as you walked, his eyes boring into you, as he licked his lips hungrily as he watched your hips sway with the rhythm of your stride. For a moment, he watched you, the new object of his teenage desires happily walk away. He grinned to himself, took a deep breath, and very quietly, he began to trail behind you. You hummed a relaxing tune to yourself in the darkness, a trick you picked up in the years of serving in the royal palace and having to walk through many places in the dark by yourself.  
Ozai smiled as he got closer to you, but you couldn't tell that anybody was behind you.  
His heart began to thump loudly in his ears as he got even closer to you still, so close that he could touch you if he wished to. He raised his hand up, and slowly pushed it forward so that his pale hand was hovering a few inches away from your skin.  
You felt a strange chill go up and down your spine suddenly, and carefully, just to make sure everything was okay, you turned back, only to find darkness.  
Ozai ducked away from your line of sight, but once he was sure that you no longer felt him, he began ghosting you again.  
He smiled to himself again, as he though of himself as a sneaky predator stalking its soft prey.  
You picked up your pace, and took a deep breath, suddenly unnerved at the darkness you found yourself in.  
Ozai mimicked your pace, and licked his lips, determined to touch you this time.  
You walked faster still, and rounded a corner seeking relief from the uncomfortable darkness, but you gasped suddenly as you felt yourself collide with somebody who also grunted in surprise. 

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to, I-" You got startled when you saw a bright, warm orange flame break though the darkness, and you saw none other than prince Iroh himself, his face visibly marred with confusion, but his expression softened as soon as he saw that it was you he had bumped into.  
Ozai quickly threw himself against the wall where he could remain hidden, cursing his older brother for being so inopportune, as was always the case.

Your face lit up in a blush, and you quickly pushed yourself away from the handsome prince, and got to your knees to beg for forgiveness. Iroh cocked an eyebrow at you, somewhat puzzled by your behavior, but he chuckled. 

"My prince! Please forgive me, I beg of you… I did not see you in the darkness, I did not mean to bump into you my prince, I-"

"It's alright, please stand… No harm done, ________"  
He said, taking your pleading hands in his own and raising you up to your feet once again.  
You couldn't believe your ears!  
Prince Iroh had not only touched you to help you up and off your knees, but he remembered your name!  
You blushed, but still kept your eyes glued to the ground. 

"Why are you up so late?" He asked, his voice calm and even, yet so warm and comforting.

"I was in the laundry pool my prince… I was just washing… umm… your robes for tomorrow's ceremony. " you say shyly.  
Iroh chuckled and nodded at you.

"Always such a hard worker ________. But please, get some rest. I wouldn't want for you to get sick because of me." He said. 

"It is an honor my prince, I would do that and anything for my future fire lord." You said dutifully.  
You couldn't see it because your eyes were still glued to the ground, but prince Iroh was blushing himself. He couldn't keep his amber gaze off of your gentle eyes, off of your beautiful lips and soft looking skin of your pink-tinted cheeks.

"Thank you… and please get some rest. I hope you're at the ceremony tomorrow." He said, giving you a polite nod and walking past you.

"Yes my prince, it would be an honor." You said, allowing yourself a tiny smile. 

"I hope you sleep well." 

"Thank you my prince… Please sleep soundly." You said, bowing respectfully. 

"Goodnight. " Said Iroh, and slowly walked past you, wishing that he could walk you all the way to the corridor but he knew he couldn't tonight.  
As soon as Ozai heard his brother approach, he quickly slipped into one of the hidden servant's passageways, and cursed quietly as he watched his brother walk past.

Ozai knew that he had missed his chance this time, but he wasn't one to give up. Ever.


	2. A Blossoming Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to give a huge and warm thanks to AvatarNataku and as well as to the guest that left me kudos on my work.  
> Thanks so much, your comment made my day!

You watched prince Iroh disappear into the darkness you had just left behind, and as soon as you saw his silhouette dissolve into the shadows, you made a dash for your dormitory.  
You were beaming at the memory of the encounter with the prince of your dreams, and most of all, you were astounded and downright over the moon because he had expressed his desire to see you at ceremony for his official inauguration as the youngest general in the Fire Nation.

You felt like there was no other choice. You had too be at the ceremony tomorrow. Perhaps somebody would be willing to trade their shift with you tomorrow.... Yes!  
You knew that your friend Haruna had to serve drinks at the festivities, maybe she would trade a shift with you!  
Perfect!  
You opened the heavy wooden door that led to your room, but side-stepped it and made your way quickly to Haruna's room.  
You knocked gently on the thin door, and heard a muffled grunt in response. Pushing on the door as quietly as you could, you opened it just enough to let yourself in. Haruna was already in bed and clearly irritated at the fact that you allowed yourself in the way that you did, but for now, you would gladly risk any harsh words she would throw your way, but you had an offer in mind that you were certain she would like.

"Haruna? Haruna, wake up!" You hiss, hoping to get her attention. Haruna opened a single eye, and still managed to roll it at you as she buried her face into her thin pillow.

"Haruna! Listen to me! Would you like to trade shifts? Take my evening shift so that you can sleep in tomorrow! I'll go to the prince's ceremony instead of you, and you wont have to start working until noon… You wanna trade?" You ask, hopeful that your friend would cooperate with your proposal.  
Haruna propped herself up on her elbow and glared at you.

"Ugh… You know _______, you're such a weirdo. Why would you want to take that annoying shift? " she asked, fluffing her pillow and plopping back down onto the mattress. 

"Trust me, I want your shift Haruna… Please. You can take the noon shift, yeah? C'mon, please?" You whined, shaking your friend's groggy body.

"Fine, whatever. Just let me get some sleep, sheesh! But go to bed now, you have to be up before dawn to prepare the drinks and everything else." She said, before waving you away from her room, leaving you happy and excited at your accomplishment.

"Thank you, thank you thank you thank yoooou Haruna!" You said with a grin, and dashed over to your bedroom, quickly settling down, and with a smile and and hopeful determination, you fell asleep.

 

While all of this was happening, prince Iroh had found himself back in his living quarters, getting himself ready for bed by relaxing into a meditative state to put his thoughts in order and to keep his nerves in check.  
Even though he tried his best to meditate on what he would do tomorrow at the ceremony, on who he would thank and what he had to say, his thoughts kept flying back to you.  
Iroh had always seen you around the palace, ever since he could remember, his inner fire always stirred within his body whenever he had you so close, when you had to serve him his meals, when you picked up his room, or even when he spotted you doing your daily chores around the palace.  
Ever since you were placed with the duty of picking up his room more often, Iroh had even made it a point to keep it cleaner than usual, despite his usual indifference at the task of keeping his clothes neatly stored and his bedsheets nicely laid out. He chuckled at himself for trying to be tidier for a servant girl… But you weren't just a servant girl to Iroh. You were special to him.  
Lately, with his militaristic duties, he had been forced out of the palace for long expanses at a time, and in that time, you had bloomed into one of the loveliest women he had ever seen, now his inner fire seemed so small in comparison to the way his heart hammered within his chest when he was close to you. He only hoped that you felt the same way. He wasn't quite certain, but he could feel the way you seemed to get more nervous when he was around, how your eyes would twinkle when he spoke to you. His suspicions were even more solidified after your brief encounter that night. He felt that there was more to your words, more to the way that you blushed than a mere reverence and respect for a royal…

He knew that he had been bold that night, when he expressed his hope at seeing you at the ceremony… And he wished that maybe you'd be on duty for it…  
He knew that seeing you there would make his day complete.  
He also knew that these feelings for you were dangerous. Not only was he the crown prince, but the heir apparent for the throne. His family would scoff at the idea of a servant girl becoming the fire lady…  
He didn't care. He couldn't bring himself to shed an ounce of though into what wrinkled and nosey hags would say.  
He had to do something about the flood of emotions that hung in his heart. 

"I'll court her. I'll make her mine." Said Iroh, smiling as he finally allowed himself to rest. 

 

Ozai stomped all the way back to the western wing where his room was. He opened the heavy cherry wood door and let it slam violently as he entered his room, sparks and smoke being emitted from his mouth as it twisted into a scowl.

"Damn you Iroh. Always showing up when I'm about to secure a conquest. " He growled as he tore his clothes off and tossed his robes aside. He threw himself on his plush bed, and took deep breaths to try and slow down his whirlwind thoughts, and instead he closed his eyes, and began to imagine exactly what he would have done if his meddlesome brother had not shown up.

He imagined how he would whisk you away to his room, or maybe some broom closet where he would rip your clothes off, or maybe he would burn them clear off your body if he had to. He imagined his hands running all throughout the expanse of your naked flesh, biting, clawing and having his way with your vulnerable body.  
He imagined you begging him for more, absolutely imploring for him to let you have it harder, faster deeeper and-

The youngest prince let out a strangled moan as his seed spilled all over his eager hand, his chest heaving with the stress of his fantasy-fueled orgasm. He grinned, and opened his eyes slowly, allowing himself a deep and satisfied breath as his member slowly began to go flaccid after his lustful session.  
Lately they had been happening more and more often… his lust-filled fantasies about you, making his impulses all the harder to control. He was frustrated at you, because you weren't like the rest of the girls working in the palace who flung themselves at Ozai, who wanted even a shred of attention from the prince.  
Ozai was no stranger to seducing and having his way with many of the servant girls in the palace. Hell, everywhere he went, there were women eager and willing to put aside any moral dignity just to spend a night with him.  
But you were another matter entirely. You hardly looked at him, you didn't smile at him, you always bowed your head when je was around, and he hated that. Why couldn't you give him a playful grin or a subtle wink to give him an entry? Why did you have to make things so difficult? It only made you more desirable to the young prince, who never took no for an answer.  
No matter.

"You'll be mine. And once I have you in my power, you won't get away so easily…"

 

The morning quickly came for you, but it didn't matter. You were up sooner than you had to be, and you knew it, but it was worth it. You had to run to the laundry pool and check on prince Iroh's robes, to make sure to press them so that they would be perfect and wrinkle-free for your prince.

You got there quickly enough, and happily, the robes had dried out nicely for you. You finished prepping them as quickly as you could, because you could see that the sun was about to rise in the east. You ran to prince Iroh's wing, and composed yourself before letting yourself in to the dressing area where his robes would be placed. You fluffed them out as quietly as you could, and finally you took a few steps back and admired your handy work.  
Perfect, and how handsome prince Iroh was sure to look in them, and once he had his armor and polished boots on…  
You let out a small sigh, and without even thinking it, you said,

"Oh, prince Iroh. …"

"Good morning."

Your eyes became as wide as saucers, and you spun around to see none other than the prince himself standing behind you.  
Immediately, you dropped to your knees and bowed your head to your lord.

"My prince… Good morning. Please, forgive me. I didn't mean to intrude in your private quarters."  
You could feel him approach you slowly, and you almost flinched at the feeling, but once again, you could feel his hands take a hold of your own.

"Please don't. .." Said Iroh gently as he lifted you up. He made sure that you were standing up straight and looked into your eyes once again, just like the night before.  
You were stunned for a second, because his eyes were far too beautiful for words, that all you could do was try to not lose yourself in the golden depths. 

"I'm sorry… I don't understand my prince, what displeases you?." You asked.

"I… Please, don't kneel before me. I want… I mean, I would like to ask that you not do that. Not you." He said, cupping your chin so that he could look into the depths of your eyes.

"Anything. .. Anything for you my prince." You said, melting into his touch.

"Good. Thank you." He said, finally releasing you, but he didn't step away. Instead he offered you a smile, and you couldn't hold back a smile of your own.  
Iroh marveled at the beauty of your smile, and repressed every urge to capture your lips with his own, but he resisted. 

"Will you be at my ceremony _____?" He asked, hopeful.  
You beamed at him this time, and shyly answered him.

"Yes, yes of course my prince."  
He smiled, and took your hands in his own once again.

"That's. .. wonderful." Said Iroh, as you pulled away from him, even though you desperately wished that you could stay. 

"Goodbye. .. my prince. I'll see you later."

"Goodbye. .. I'll be on the lookout for you."

"Yes… I will be there my prince."  
You said, as you walked away slowly, your heart beaming and beating out of your chest, and you didn't know what to do with this love that was blossoming inside of you… 

Prince Iroh…

His name, his voice, those eyes were all that you could see in your mind, and you ran back to your quarters, with a smile refusing to leave your lips.


	3. A Close Call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to give a huge thanks to all who have been reading this story, it makes me extremely happy, and I'll continue to try my hardest to make it as exciting as I can.
> 
> Also, yes, Ozai is a huge creepazoid!

You run back to the servant's quarters, and fight your way through the sea of people fussing and shoving each other in an effort to get ahead of one another.  
You try to get your head out of the clouds after your second encounter with prince Iroh, and into your chores at hand.

"Hey! Hurry up and put the wine to chill! Ugh, wasn't Haruna on duty for the ceremony!? What are you doing here?" Shouted Hildreth, a large, white haired woman who was in charge of the palace upkeep and basically everybody's supervisor. You gulped a little, but simply nodded and answered her.

"Haruna and I switched shifts." You said, moving along quickly to avoid any further questions. Hildreth simply rolled her eyes, figuring that there was nothing she could do other than hurry everybody up.  
You carried your large white tray with you to the kitchen corridor, and took a look in the mirror that hung just before the entrance to the banquet hall. Your hair was tied back into a tight braid, and you wore the mandatory uniform for the occasion, and you wondered if prince Iroh was telling the truth when he said that he would be on the lookout for you...  
Either way, you smiled.  
Getting to see prince Iroh in his ceremonial clothes was probably going to be the highlight of the year, and you couldn't wait for it.  
You walked around the banquet hall, approaching all people who you could see just to see if they would ask for something to drink.  
Predictably, some of the noble women in the hall would call you over with a snooty whistle and then wave you away like you were a pesky fly.  
But it would all be worth it, if you could see your prince…

"You there, girl! A wine, on the double!" Yelled a man who nearly pulled you to him. You tried your best to smile at the man, but all that emerged was a crooked half grin that was obviously hiding your dislike of the man rather poorly. 

"Here you are sir, the best wine in the palace." You say cheerfully, and still the man rolled his eyes at you and waved you away. You bowed respectfully anyway, and moved along.  
You observed the festivities, and smiled at fellow workers who tried their absolute best to not curse out any obnoxious nobles they encountered.  
Just as you handed another woman a drink, you felt a strong gaze rile chills up and down your spine. You turned around, only to see the youngest prince, in his best royal robes staring right at you, with that strange sneer that always made you feel so uncomfortable. You lowered your head, as a sign of respect, but you were also secretly hoping that prince Ozai would move along and not bother with saying anything to you, when suddenly you heard bellowing trumpets sound throughout the grand banquet hall and the ballroom, which was the cue to announce the entrance of none other than-

"Prince Iroh…" you said in a longing sigh, as the regal prince made his way to the center podium, where all eyes fell upon him.  
You couldn't stop smiling like a child when you looked at him, he was impossibly handsome to you. His inky black hair was perfectly combed, a hairstyle suited to a prince. His royal armor accentuated his already fit body, and you felt color rise to your cheeks at the thought of what lay beneath that armor and those robes. You tried to keep yourself from smiling, but that would prove to be almost impossible when just as a fire sage was presenting him to he crowd using all of his official royal titles, he made eye contact with you, smiling as soon as he pinpointed you. You smiled back, and gave him a quick and subtle nod, which he responded to just as quickly.  
The sage finally stopped talking, which meant that it was finally the prince's turn to speak. He smiled at you once more before finally taking a stand.

"Good morning to you all, citizens of our glorious nation. It is a true honor to be here before you for this important moment that not only belongs to me, but to the entire nation. I would like to start this ceremony off by thanking some very important people that deserve this praise and so much more from me…"

You loved hearing the sound of his voice, such a melodic, comforting sound that flooded your chest with warmth as you listened intently to him, but before you could get completely lost in his voice, you felt that heavy and overbearing gaze upon you once again...  
This time, prince Ozai didn't bother to wait for you to look at him, he stepped in front of you, and scowled. You didn't know why, but having this particular prince so close to you made you feel chills of a different kind, the kind that made you feel like you were in danger, that your very life was threatened by him. You lowered your gaze once more, and bowed, hoping that you weren't trembling visibly even though you felt your entire body grow colder.

"Instead of having you gawk at a royal ceremony, I have a better job for you to do instead, and I need for you to do it now." He ordered, stepping away from you, but at the same time looking back at you, beckoning you to follow him.

"May I ask what it is that you wish for me to do, prince Ozai?" You ask as you walk behind him, and all he does is crane his neck to look back at you with a grin.

"I suppose. You're going to wash my bedsheets, and you'll do it with a smile, my dear." He purred. You felt your back strain and your hands begin to clam up at prince Ozai's words, because although you weren't certain why, you knew that you didn't like to be around him, especially since he began to look at you with those sharp eyes, that were just as bright and golden as Iroh's, they lacked all of the warmth and kindness that Iroh's oozed. 

"Oh… well, okay your highness. .." You said with a swelling unease as you walked behind the prince.

Ozai was smirking as he led you along. You wouldn't be able to resist his natural allure once he had you alone, and those thoughts filled him with a sick and urgent lust screaming to be relieved.  
Just as you were about to reach the grand staircase of the ballroom that led up to the royal chambers, you looked back one more time at prince Iroh, who had the entire room captivated with his words, and you saw him call up multiple people up to the podium, and to your immense relief, you heard the handsome prince say something that brought you an immense sense of relief; 

"I would also like to thank my younger brother, Ozai, who has always been at my side challenging me and driving me to be better as an elder brother, and in turn, to be a better leader in the future. Come on up little brother! Where are you hiding? " Joked Iroh, to everybody's amusement. Everybody's, that is, except for prince Ozai, who turned to look at his brother with a frightening scowl, his teeth clenching together tightly as he tried and failed to relax into a believeable smile as he stomped towards his brother's side on the podium, making rounds of cheering erupt from the audience.  
You took the great opportunity to break away from the prince, your entire body finally being able to relax.  
Ozai stepped onto the podium, and tried to smile at the audience, but his cold eyes scanned the audience with purpose, seeking you out.  
His mind was a whirlwind of scattered curses and repressed rage at his brother interfering with his goal once again, and it became harder still to hold back the howling rage when he realized you were nowhere in sight. 

"Ozai, thank you for joining me for this wonderful occasion." Said Iroh as he put a firm hand over Ozai's shoulder.

Ozai refused to meet his brother's gaze, and all he could muster through the seething anger and barely contained outburst was a cold, stiff and terribly harsh-

"Sure. Thanks."


	4. The Invitation

You shuffled your way to a hidden little nook in the banquet room, where you tried your hardest to compose yourself. You snuck a peek from the nook, and you could see that prince Ozai was seething beneath his composed exterior, which shook you to the core… why was he so angry?

"My brother, always so serious." Joked Iroh once again when he also noted Ozai's demeanor. The crowd once again laughed, and Iroh released his brother, who was required by formality to take a seat behind his older brother.  
You smiled at the sound of Iroh's voice, calming you once more.

"…And in conclusion, I am endlessly honored to be here, and I promise to serve our country with every bone in my body. Thank you all for attending this ceremony. Now, enough of these formalities. Let the festivities begin!" Said Iroh with a smile, making the crowd cheer as the guests began to mingle and dance amongst each other. You knew that you had to leave your shelter and do your job, but now that prince Iroh was no longer on the podium, you felt safer somehow. You hoped with all of your heart that the prince would forget about the task he wanted you to perform, and maybe leave you alone.

You looked around the room to make sure that you didn't see the younger prince, and once you were sure that he was nowhere in sight, you took up your tray once again, and made a beeline towards the kitchen and got more glasses filled with sparkling wine, mostly trying your best to ignore Hildreth who was barking orders at the younger girls and boys to hurry them into action.  
You couldn't help but smile at them though. Even if Hildreth was a total grouch, even if the kitchen kids were at times unruly and willing to play any prank on anybody, these people were your family, the only one you knew.

"Still hanging around here?! My, why won't anybody just hurry! Its times like these that I wish I were a firebender, to light a fire under your butts! The guests must be getting thristy, get yourself out to the ballroom. " said Hildreth, hurrying you along. You half smiled at the older woman, and did as you were told, in a way happy that you would be able to look for him… Prince Iroh. 

You quickly made your way out the door and almost immediately people swarmed you to demand a drink from you. You were so caught up in trying to keep people seen happy, that you didn't see somebody approach you from behind.

"I'll take a drink, if you'd be so kind."

"Certainly, here you-" you didn't finish your sentence, because as soon as you looked at the source of the voice, your eyes were met with a pair of gorgeous eyes.

"Oh! My prince!" You exclaimed, and nervously reached for a crystal glass to hand to him. You gave him the sparkling wine, and as soon as he reached to take it from your hand, your fingers touched, making a fire light in your body.  
His eyes glittered with warmth, as he took in your beauty. He wished that he could just lean down and kiss your lush lips, but instead he allowed his fingers to linger on yours for a few moments more that what they should have.

"Thanks. .. uh… thank you." He said, reluctantly pulling his hand away.

"Don't thank me my prince… I… " you hardly knew what to say! His eyes never left your face, making blood rush to your cheeks.

"Are… I mean.. I hope this wasn't too boring." He said with a chuckle, but inside he was beating himself up for not being able to come up with something more interesting to say.  
Why did that happen around you? Why was he able to speak so eloquently in front of a ballroom full of nobles, just to turn into mush as soon as he was near you.  
You giggled, and looked down at his chest, unsure where else to look, but his wide, strong chest looked so inviting, that you looked down at his hands instead. 

"Not at all! I… I loved watching you…" You said.

"Really?" He asked, too enthusiastically than he would have liked.

"Oh yes, you're so inspirational prince Iroh." You said, happily smiling at him.

"Good. I'm glad you enjoyed it…" he said, twiddling his thumbs after a brief silence set in. Suddenly, a woman came up to you with a sour expression, and gave you a sneer.  
You caught the cue and handed her some of the wine that you carried, and she took it without a single word, only stopping enough to give the handsome prince a sideways glance.

"I… I should be going. I have to serve people their drinks after all." You said, daring to look into his eyes once more. As soon as you did, you saw his tender smile shining down on you.

"Um… pardon, but may I be so bold as to ask something of you?" Asked Iroh, this time it was his eyes that shifted down to the ground, with just a faint tint of pink covering his cheeks.

"Anything. .. for you." You said, and as you said yhese words, you could feel the room and its inhabitants slowly melt away as the prince looked you once again in the eyes, his gaze making you forget everything else that surrounded you.

"After the celebration… at sundown, will you… I mean, would you like to…. Meet me at the eastern garden?" He asked. 

You froze, his words sending a small stream of electricity down your spine, and in that moment you wanted nothing more than to lunge into his arms and never let this beautiful, wonderful, amazing man go ever, ever again.  
You looked into his eyes, realizing that he was still waiting for an answer, and gathered up your dumbfounded thoughts enough to give him your answer.

"Yes… of course my prince. I promise that I'll be there." You said shyly, making the prince let out a tiny sigh of relief.

"Okay… I'll see you tonight." He said, taking your hand, and placing a small kiss on it, taking your very breath away.

"Yes… at sundown." You said, as he let go of your hand.

He gave you one last smile, and turned away, tending to guests as he went along, but all you could do was smile and thank the stars for this wonderfully strange invitation.  
You wouldn't miss it for the world.


	5. Bitter Words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for supporting my story!
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

The hours passed along, and Iroh began to grow more and more impatient as he was expected to be a perfectly schooled host, but he couldn't wait until sundown.  
A few times more during the celebration, he spotted you, and each time, both of you smiled at eachother knowingly and with a silent but tense anticipation in between.  
After a few hours, the celebration began to take on a more relaxed atmosphere, nobles now more pliant and happy due to the alcohol coursing through their systems. Each time you went into the kitchen to replenish your supply of alcohol, it seemed that the guests were becoming more pleasing to serve, funny even. You watched them laugh, giggle and tell outrageous stories that made you blush at the explicit details.  
Yet, these things were not enough to make you forget about the looming meeting with the prince.  
Soon, as you saw the spring sun begin to approach the line.of the horizon, and guests began to slowly file out of the grand ballroom. The few guests that remained behind didn't last in the ballroom much longer. Soon, you found yourself and the rest of the servants picking up after all of the nobles, diligently sweeping as the ballroom slowly began to shape into its former pre-party state. 

You spied Hildreth off in the furthest corner of the ballroom, bossing a few of the other girls around, but you were determined to stay out of her sight while you could so that she wouldn't be able to plant some chore on you.  
You quickly swept up the dust and garbage you had been collecting and made a dash for the kitchen where you put away your broom, and took care to avoid drawing any attention to yourself. 

"Almost time…" You said to yourself with a hopeful smile as you crossed the servant's hallways and into the servant's quarters.  
By now, you were starting to feel nerves kick in, as the realization that you were about to meet with the prince.   
All that time at the celebration, and not once did you wonder what it was that he wanted to see you for… All you had been able to think about was that he wanted to see you… Alone. 

The thoughts followed you around as you scrambled to find your best dress in a small wooden chest that rested at the foot of your bed. After finding it, you dashed out to the bathhouse which was mercifully empty. You didn't have time to relax and enjoy the delicious warm water that enveloped your body, even though your body wanted to, your muscles were tired and sore from the day full of hard work.  
None of that mattered though. Not when in a few minutes you would be making your way to the eastern garden of the palace, the one that was the most hidden away from the prying eyes of the rest of the palace.  
You scrubbed your hair almost painfully, your skin was rosy and a bit sensitive from the amount of scrubbing, but it didn't matter. All you could think about was about looking and smelling good for prince Iroh.   
You pulled yourself out of the warm water, drying yourself off as you walked quickly back to your room. The sun was getting closer and closer to the horizon by the moment, and there was no way that you would make the prince wait. 

________________________

Ozai seethed beneath his calm exterior, which was accented by the constant and frankly infuriating words of praise that his elder brother was being showered with. Perhaps Ozai was able to fool everyone else, seeming calm enough, but his raging emotions were no secret to Iroh, who kept sending him concerned, questioning glances.

"Is everything alright brother? You've hardly said a word since the celebration began. .." Asked Iroh, placing his hand upon his little brother's muscular shoulder.  
Ozai bit his tongue to keep himself feom lashing out at his annoyingly calm brother. He couldn't exactly go around telling people that he was enraged because of his foiled attempts at conquering the woman that occupied his most lust-filled thoughts. Especially not when the one that foiled said attempts was the very person asking about what was wrong.

"I assure you that I am quite well, thanks." Said Ozai with a sharp bite lacing his words that Iroh caught rather quickly. 

"Are you sure? You're usually quite vocal during official presentations. .. all you've done all day is frown and act generally obnoxious. I mean, more obnoxious than what we're accustomed to." Said Iroh with a glint in his eye, hoping that the joke would make his brother lighten up.  
Ozai clenched his teeth painfully, Iroh's good-natured ribbing having a completely opposite effect from what the elder prince intended. Ozai ripped himself away from Iroh's brotherly grasp, spinning around on his heel to seethe at his brother eye to eye.

"Me, obnoxious? Pretty funny that you of all people is accusing me of being obnoxious when you're the one walking around here like you have some licking your boots everywhere you go, what, with that stupid smile plastered on your face. .."

Iroh cocked an eyebrow curiously at his brother, and thought of nothing more than of diffusing the situation that was quickly getting more and more tense. 

"I'm sorry Ozai, don't take it the wrong way, I merely wanted to-"

"No! You just want everybody to be kissing your ass all day everywhere just because you're the newest general, but don't think for a second that I'm gonna butter you up just because you got that meaningless title!"  
Shouted the younger prince, who was beet-red and angrier than he had been in a long time.  
Iroh stepped back, not wishing to further add fuel to the fire.

 

"I see... forgive me Ozai, perhaps i assessed your pronounced scowl that you've been carrying around all afternoon as a sign of discord within. It seems I have misjudged you. I'll make a mental note to study and learn to distinguish your many scowls." Said Iroh, stepping back and away from his brother, leaving him to steep in his rage.  
Iroh was not about to let Ozai's bad mood dampen his own mood, which was bubbling with a tender happiness.  
He bowed respectfully at the angry prince, and walked away and towards his quarters, leaving Ozai behind.   
He couldn't think about his brother now, he wouldn't allow himself to ponder on his brother's surprisingly sour mood. He had things to do!  
He looked at the sun which hung comfortingly in the sky as it sunk further to the west.   
As much as he wanted to seem calm and aloof, he was too happy at your acceptance to fake anything other than happiness. Tonight, he would have you all to himself, and he prayed to Agni that you would be there like you promised.  
Tonight, he would make his intentions clear.  
Tonight, you would learn of his blossoming love for you.  
All he could do was hope that you loved him too.


	6. The Garden

Iroh didn't waste any time after he reached his quarters in an impressive sprint. He quickly bathed and shaved, even though he had shaved earlier... but who cares! Stubble was unacceptable, especially when considering the very hopeful, very pleasing possibility that he might get to…  
Stubble just wouldn't do.

He scanned his clothes, and while his first instinct was to pull out his red officer's uniform, he decided against looking so uptight. He was certain you'd appreciate him even if he wore casual clothes.  
He picked out a white collared shirt, with long sleeves and red buttons, and a pair of red breeches which he tucked in to his black boots. Iroh took a look into the mirror, and as soon as he looked at himself, he frowned. He usually wasn't one to obsess over clothes, but… in a flash, he stripped his clothes off once again, and reached for a red tunic, with gold trimming, and white breeches, which he once again tucked into his boots. This time around, he was satisfied with the outcome. He grabbed his ivory comb from his nightstand, and began to comb through his inky hair, using some oil to slick it down into the style that he wanted. He stepped back, and took a good look in the mirror, and smiled. He was pleased with his appearance, now all he had to do was avoid being seen as he reached he eastern garden.  
He narrowly avoided being seen by a group of children carrying bags of bedding, and slipped into a small closet before he was spotted by a young woman who was rushing in the direction of the kitchen, which reminded him that he had forgotten to let his family know that he wouldn't be present during supper.

No matter, he didn't think him missing a meal would raise suspicion. He was a grown man, and his family should not make a fuss over his absence.   
After a few more close calls, he finally made it to the easily-missed corridor that led directly to the garden where he hoped you would be.   
It was almost impossible to contain his smile now, as he approached the archway that separated the rest of the palace from the quiet garden.   
He took a deep breath to try and soothe the rumbling butterflies that beat at his stomach, and scanned the garden carefully, and saw only the many trees and beautiful flowers that littered it. At first, he wondered if he had been the first to arrive, and was content with the idea, but upon closer inspection of a circle of flower beds surrounded by plentiful willow trees, he saw a shape that made his heart sing happily in his chest.  
He slowly approached, not wanting to make a sound so as to confirm if it was who he wanted it to be. His eyes twinkled with happiness when he was that it was indeed you.  
He observed you as you petted the cool, green grass, the way that the breeze moved through your hair, brushing it aside wen to expose your lovely shoulders.  
Even though he wanted to stand there and admire you as you were, he couldn't wait any longer to be able to look into your eyes and see your smile.  
Taking a brave step forward, and spoke:

"Hello."

______________________________

You could hear people crowd the hallway beyond your room as hid behind the door, listening for an opportunity to sneak away unseen. You frowned at the constant and steady voices, making you cringe at the possibility that they would be there all night making it impossible for you to leave.  
You listened for a while longer, but you kept looking out the tiny window in your room, hoping that yoi wouldn't be too late to meet with the prince.   
Luckily, after a few minutes you heard the chatter from the hallway begin to thin out, and you took the chance to bolt out of your room, but not before throwing on a thinning but still beautiful shawl over your shoulders to hide the thick straps of your dress.  
After taking a quick peek out the door, you quickly made it to the servant's corridors which were hidden away behind the elegant walls of the palace. You kept your head down to avoid drawing attention to yourself, and made it a point to avoid eye contact when you did encounter some of your companions in the hallway so that none would stop to talk to you. Prince Iroh never said anything about being so secretive, but you figured that went without saying. You didn't want any unwanted attention drawn to a meeting between a prince and a servant…  
You finally reached the small partially hidden corridor that led to the Eastern garden, and you slowed down.  
You didn't want to make a fool of yourself in front of the prince in case he was already there by dashing in breathing heavily from the run. To your relief, you were in the garden alone.   
You made it on time, and you sent a silent thank you to the spirits for it.

You took a nice look around the secretive garden, delighting in its beauty. There were beds of crimson lilies scattered all about the grounds with rows of beautiful willows flanking the flowers, with a small pond in the center of the garden with willows draped all around it, creating a natural curtain around it. You found yourself walking towards one of the many flower beds, and lowered yourself down, letting your shawl slide off your shoulders.   
It was a wonderful place, the beauty of it making your riled up nerves rest themselves.  
"I wonder when you'll come…" you said, relaxing with the cool breeze that blew through the open space, that you didn't notice somebody coming up behind you.

"Hello."   
The sudden sound of his voice didn't frighten you, rather you felt a jolt of happiness course through your chest.  
You stood up quickly, and dusted yourself off before turning to face the prince.  
You couldn't stop your eyes from roaming all around, but Iroh didn't mind. He smiled his best smile and took yet another step forward.  
A warm affection took hold of his heart upon setting his his eyes on you, you were so lovely to behold.  
Your eyes glittered with the same joy that his held, yet you hesitated to take a step forward, your learned reverence for the prince stopping you from diving into his embrace.   
After admiring eachother wordlessly for those moments, you realized you hadn't yet returned his greeting. Blood rushed to your cheeks upon the realization, and you managed to stammer out,

"G-good evening prince Iroh. I- I'm so glad to see you." You said, swaying gently on your heels, still embarrassed to look him in the eye.

"As am I… thank you for coming. I'm glad you did." He said, and now you could feel him get closer still, making goosebumps pickle your skin at the sensation of having this gorgeous prince so close. You could feel his natural heat almost envelop you it was so intense, and his spicy cologne teased your senses.  
You smiled at his words, but still you didn't dare look up, and now you weren't sure if it was because of reverence or the fear that looking up would make some sort of magical dream burst and you'd awaken in your lonely bed instead of looking into deep pools of gold.

"Why… why won't you look at me?" He asked you with that gentle voice of his, and soon you felt his warm fingers find your chin, tilting your face up so that he would be able to look into your eyes. Your eyes cast up, and there your eyes met with his tender gaze.

"Please… forgive me." You said, helplessly melting into his touch, no matter how subtle it may have been.  
He chuckled softly, and surprised you by taking your hand in his, taking a step back, and bringing your knuckles up to his lips, gently pressing a kiss to them.   
You blushed, feeling the warmth of his lips radiate fire from your hand all the way to your heart, and you sighed, holding back the urge to cry out your joy to the winds.  
Iroh smiled into the kiss as he felt your fingers squeeze his. He released you, and his eyes were almost apologetic. 

"Pardon my boldness. .. did I make you feel uncomfortable? " he asked. Your eyes melted from a glazed over dreamy gaze into a sheepish smile.

"Heavens no my prince… I'm sorry, but it's just… nobody has ever kissed my hand before." You said, wondering if you had blown your first impression on the prince, but soon it was forgotten when you looked into his eyes and sae nothing but a sweet smile.

"Iroh. .. please just call me Iroh." He said.  
You bit your lip, carefully letting his words sink in, and you smiled up sweetly at him.

"Alright… Iroh." You said, letting a small giggle escape your lips.  
He grinned, the sound of his name coming from your lips was like sweet music to his ears.

"Thank you... umm, would you like to sit down? Or would a stroll be better?" He asked.

"I wouldn't mind taking a walk.. what would you prefer?" You asked him.

"A walk would be wonderful. " He agreed, as he almost hesitated to offer you his arm. You blushed, and happily laced your arm around his elbow.  
You looked up at the darkening sky, and gave thanks to the stars for this… for him.

_____________________________

Ozai entered the dining hall alone, to find his mother and father already seated and waiting for their children. 

"Good evening mother. Father." Said Ozai, bowing at his parents like custom dictated.

"Hello Ozai dear. Why, tonight you arrived before Iroh. " said his mother, lady Ilah.

"That's right… where is your brother Ozai?" Asked Azulon to his youngest son.  
Ozai held back the impulse to roll his eyes at the mention of his brother, and advanced towards his place next to his mother.

"I don't know where he is father. I haven't seen him since the end of the ceremony this afternoon." He said, his voice and face pinched into concealing a scowl.

"That's strange. .. it's very unlike Iroh to be late for supper." Said Ilah.

"Indeed… but today was a busy day for our son, perhaps he has gone down to the city to celebrate his militaristic triumph." Said Azulon, and Ozai's teeth gritted against eachother at the obvious pride spilling over onto Azulon's words as he spoke of his eldest son… his favorite.   
Ozai bitterly acknowledged the fact, but said nothing, allowing the jealousy to fester in the pit of his stomach.

"Still… well, I suppose he will be along soon if he is coming. Shall I summon our meal?" Ilah asked her husband.   
Azulon nodded, and Ilah gave the order.

"Finally. .." thought Ozai, as the doors opened and servants began to flow into the hall.  
Ozai couldn't care less about where Iroh was, in fact, he happy for once during dinner.   
He wouldn't have to hear Iroh's stupid jokes or his father and mother fawn over him. He wouldn't have to watch Iroh make nice with the servants… especially with…

"What's this? Where is she!" Thought Ozai, even his inner thoughts spitting venom at the realization that you in weren't among those serving him his meal. Instead it was that other girl, whats-her-name.   
Ozai clenched his jaw shut tight, lest he bellow out at the girl, demanding to know where you were. Tonight it was precisely your turn to serve them their meal! Now this? Ozai gave Haruna a pronounced frown, making the girl nearly drop the ladle she was using to serve the prince his garden vegetable soup.

The rest of the dinner was served, and Ozai ate small bites of it, still seething from his ruined meal.  
The only upside was that Iroh too failed to show up.

"Wait… strange how they both… no. It couldn't possibly be… could it?"  
Ozai stood abruptly from the table, and half-excused himself as he nearly snarled away from his parents.  
A cold pang of jealousy ripped through him even as he tried to calm himself, thinking the coincidence was just that…  
But something clenched at his gut, a certain something he couldn't explain…   
But Iroh needed to be found.   
And alone.


	7. A Rose So Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to take a moment to thank everybody that has been so, so amazing and supportive and just plain freakin amazing.  
> A warm thanks and super e-hug to AvatarNataku, to Shannon and to Debbie for your lovely comments and to all who have given me kudos!  
> You guys have no idea how much that all means to me!
> 
> So without further delay, I present to you...

As you walked around the garden on the arm of Iroh, slowly you felt your nerves calm and dampen. Not only was the prince kind and polite, but he also made it a point to keep you smiling any way that he could. He led you to the flower beds where he had found you at first, and even though he was telling you a funny story about a run in with a pirate out at sea, you couldn't help but think about his new position as general.  
Would he be in the Fire Nation for much longer?  
Iroh could tell that something was on your mind, and after a while he led you to the small pond.

"Is something on your mind? " he asked as he sat down on the cool grass. You settled next to the calm waters, beside him.

"Yes… there is something I've been thinking about." You said, unsure if it was a good idea to tell him about your concern. 

"Oh?" He asked, smiling softly. Iroh wanted to know what was bothering you, but at the same time he was shy about asking what was on your mind. He didn't want to pressure you or make you feel like he was prying when he hadn't even confessed his feelings for you.  
You looked at the calm water, and let out a sigh. You were embarrassed, but you had a feeling that prince Iroh would want to know what was going on.

"I… well, I was just wondering if you'll be here for much longer… In the Fire Nation, in the palace?"  
Iroh let out a long sigh as he ran his fingers through his black hair, thinking.  
He hated the thought, but he did indeed have to leave soon. An entire armada would be shipping off soon for the shores of the Earth Kingdom, with him as their leader, his entire country was counting on him, his men confident that under the eldest prince's leadership they would find victory.  
He looked into your eyes, wishing that he wouldn't have to tell the truth, especially not now when he finally had the courage to speak to you like this. Now it was he that ran his gaze across the water of the pond, searching for an answer. 

"I leave soon." He said, his eyes still searching the water, even as he felt you tense suddenly at his words. 

"Soon? How soon?" You asked, doing your best to keep your words calm despite the fact that the news of his looming departure filled you with dread.

"In about a month…" he said, just louder than a whisper, as he shifted his eyes away from the water and away from you.  
You felt a knot form in the pit of your stomach at the thought of Iroh sailing away towards hostile shores leagues away from home, fighting for his nation. The thoughts began to claw at the composure you were fighting so hard to maintain, even as you tried to push the feelings of sadness back.

"A… a month? But…" You stopped mid-sentence, afraid of your voice cracking as the emotions surged within.  
Iroh turned to face you once again, and as soon as he took one look at your face, his stomach did a flip. The look of bottled up sadness in your gentle eyes was worse for him than being burned by the hottest fire.  
Before he could stop himself, he took hold of your hands and brought them up to his chest, almost as if he were imploring for you to reach into his heart touch his love.

"Yes, a month… and… I wanted to… I mean, I couldn't leave without…" he hesitated for a moment as he became more flustered and a deep blush began to flood his pale cheeks. 

You felt something stir in your heart as you watched the handsome prince hesitate to speak, because you found yourself admiring everything about him, loving every texture of his face, every tiny freckle that peppered his skin.  
In a bold move, you moved your hands away from his chest, and gently, you smoothed the backs of your fingers over the surprisingly soft skin of his cheek.  
Iroh's eyes lit up as soon as he felt your gentle touch, letting his eyes look breifly at your soft hand, and then meeting your lovely gaze. He smiled at you, being drawn in and hypnotized by your eyes. You smiled at him too, making his eyes fall to your lips. Iroh knew he couldn't waste any more time, not when the mere sight of your lips threatened to tear down his facade of calm to make way for his ever - mounting affection. 

"Without what?" You asked finally, letting your hand fall back down onto his chest, where he took hold of it delicately, but still blushing feverishly.

"I couldn't leave here without saying something that I've been carrying around in my mind with me for quite some time…"

"Is it something bad my p- I mean, is it something bad, Iroh?"  
You asked, your eyes pleading to know of the burden he carried on his mind.  
His face changed from pondering to one of happiness upon hearing your question.

"No, it isn't bad at all… quite the contrary, actually. " 

Your heart began to flutter in your chest, the anxiety of wanting to know what he meant was killing you, but you couldn't stop smiling at him, it was impossible not to, especially when you were so close to him.

"Listen… I can't leave here without first telling you something." He said, his eyes cast down, unsure of where to let them rest.

"Me?" You said, feeling your heart jump and spin around in your chest as you formed various theories at lighting speed in your mind.

"Yes… and i really hope you don't think me too forward."

You grinned, hoping with all of your heart that you could keep from crying out loud from the sheer amount of anticipation building in your heart.

"Please… tell me Iroh." You said, looking at him again with those pleading eyes he just couldn't refuse, melting away any remaining doubt about telling you how he felt.  
He took a small breath, and cleared his throat before shyly his deep golden eyes connected with yours.

"I asked you to come here because I just can't contain what has grown in my heart anymore, and I want you to know that over the last few months, you became somebody who was more than just a girl I saw every day around the palace. … you… you're the first thing I think about when I rise with the sun, and the very last thing I think about when I fall asleep. Your eyes haunt me everywhere I go, and they're what give me strength to fight every single day. And I couldn't leave my country without telling you that… I'm falling in love with you." He said, almost choking on his breath as he managed to say the final words. 

Iroh almost regretted the way he just came out with his declaration, analyzing his every word back in his mind, but he was torn away from his inner ramblings by a soft sigh that came from you. Immediately he turned to look at you, and his worries were quelled as soon as he saw that smile spread on your lips, and a blush stain your cheeks. 

"You're. .. falling in love with me?" You asked, this time you couldn't hold back the tears that formed in your eyes as they began to stream down your cheeks and disappeared at your smiling lips. Iroh cupped your cheeks with both hands, and wiped away the trails of your tears with his thumbs.

"Yes, and… I wanted to know if you would ever consider allowing me t-to uhh… court you." He managed to stammer, feeling silly as the words found their way out of his mouth.  
Before he could think of a way to correct his little speech, you threw your arms around his neck, breathing in his deliciously spicy scent as you squeezed his tight. He immediately followed suit and wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you in as close as he possibly could and thanking Agni for such a beautiful outcome.

"So, is that a yes?" He asked after a short while of being in each other's embrace. 

"Oh, Iroh. You already own my heart, my sweet prince." You said, brushing your hand agaisnt his cheek, caressing hin softly. Iroh took hold of your hand once again and brought it to his lips, giving it another sweet kiss before moving down and giving your wrist a small peck.

"My beautiful rose." He said as he brushed a stray strand of hair away from your face.  
You let out a sigh of sheer joy from hearing him say those words. 

"Iroh. .. why?" You asked him.

"Why? Do you mean why do you have me wrapped around your lovely finger? Well, that's easy. Because when I look in to your eyes, I feel so, so happy… like I've found a part of me that I didn't even know I was missing until I saw you again since I came back home from my last mission. It started out small, like how I suddenly became so aware of how much I looked forward to the days you would serve our meals. How I looked for any excuse to talk to you, like, remember the time when I asked you if it was raining out even though the sun was pouring into my room because I wanted to know if I should wear warmer clothes?" He said, laughing lightly. 

You giggled along with him, because you did remember, but never in a million years did you imagine he felt that way.

"Oh yeah, I remember!" 

"Well, yeah, that's how I began to realize that any excuse to see you or talk to you would do… because I needed to hear you speak to me… and you were always so shy… and I didn't even think you could like me too, my rose."  
You hugged him tight again, already coming to adore the feeling of being wrapped in his strong arms. 

"Iroh? Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when I was bringing out a pot of soup from the serving quarters, and I spilled some boiling soup of my hand?" You asked, touching the place on your hand where the burn had been.

"Of course I remember. I couldn't stand seeing you in pain." He said, as he stood up from the grass and offered you his hand to help you up. You took it and he pulled you up.

"Yes… and you used your bending to take the heat out of my burn. I… I couldn't believe that you, the crown prince of the Fire Nation, would touch me, much less use your bending to ease my pain… Iroh, ever since I could remember I've always had something of a crush on you…" you confessed, feeling a tiny bit embarrassed, but happy that you were finally able to tell him how you felt.  
"But in that moment. .. it became something else. Something so much deeper. It frightened me, but at the same time, I knew that I wanted to spend all of my life… close to you, Iroh. As soon as you touched me, I swore to myself that I. .. that I would devote my life to you, and dedicate myself to serve you for as long as I could." You said, and the shyness you had seemingly overcome came back full force, making you look down at the grass for fear of seeing disapproval in his eyes.

Instead, you felt him tilt your chin up once again.  
He let his free hand caress your cheek as his eyes looked into yours, his gaze was almost too intense to handle, but much too beautiful to not look at.

"My Rose… I do not want you to be my servant. I want you. Just you." He said, and you could swear that those beautiful amber pools were getting slightly closer.

"Oh, Iroh. .." you sighed, and now there was absolutely no mistaking that his lips were just hovering above yours. He looked at your tempting lips, looking like he was about to turn away.  
You were not about to let that happen.  
You pulled him closer still, sliding your hand over the sensitive back of his neck, encouraging him on, when Iroh closed the remaining gap between both of your mouths.

Iroh touched your lips with his, and in that moment he felt like he wanted to do absolutely nothing else ever in his entire life, because kissing you was better than anything he had ever felt, and he wanted more, no, he needed more.  
Even if his initial intention was just a small peck, that soon flew out the agenda when he felt your body melt into his, into his kiss.  
His mouth was so soft, tender and deliciously warm that you wondered for a moment if it was because he was a firebender, but soon you realized that it was because everything about this man drove you to insanity.  
Iroh broke the kiss and you nearly screamed at the loss of his warmth, but you only smiled at your prince. There was no longer any doubt in your mind much less in your heart. You belonged to him.

"Iroh. .. I love you."

"And I love you, my rose."  
He said, and dared to steal another kiss from your lips.  
You giggled as his lips tickled yours, and you surprised him by lunging into his arms and holding on tight, planting a sweet kiss on his cheek and then one for his jaw.

"Oh spirits… thank you. " you prayed, as lost sense of time in his arms.


	8. The Start Of Something Good

As Ozai stalked his way around the long, red hallways of the palace, he couldn't help but feel a tiny speck of annoyance spring up in his chest. Why couldn't he find his brother? He supposed that maybe Iroh did go out with his shipmates, he couldn't bring himself to care about that, but what really pissed him off to no end was that he couldn't locate you anywhere. He searched the kitchen, making sure that not a single person spotted him. You were not there.  
He checked the laundry pool where he had seen you a couple of times during his late-night outings, but the place was empty, save for a two of children sweeping away at muddy water that had collected at the base of the large stone tub where the clothes was washed.

He usually never had to try too hard to find you. When you had first captured his attention some months back, he was merely curious about you. He saw the quiet and dignified grace with which you carried yourself, even if you were just a servant girl. That was what he found the most captivating about you...  
And for now, he made it his top priority to locate you.  
He thought about making his way into the servant's dormitories, when from a distance he saw a familiar shape approach the entrance of the building that housed the servants. 

Bingo. That's the girl that was always with you… The one that took your place during that night's dinner.  
Ozai smirked deviously, and melted into the shadows of the pillars near the entrance of the building.  
He watched her approach the wide doors of the dormitory, rubbing at the back of her neck with a washcloth and sighing, surely tired from the day's work.  
Just as she approached the doors, Ozai pounced from the shadows, snatching up the girl while quickly covering her mouth with his hands, but the girl squirmed and tried to escape his iron grip. Ozai spun her around quick as lightning, and before the girl had a chance to scream, she looked at Ozai, suddenly feeling foolish but also afraid of the look the young prince was giving her.

"Prince Ozai?" She said, now more confused than ever as to why she was in his grasp.  
Ozai merely gave her a half smile, before bending down to move some hair away from her face. She bit back a whimper, and barely took a breath as the young prince still held her.

"Good evening. What is your name?" He asked her, his voice was gentle, but his disposition was anything but.

"Its Ha- Haruna." She whispered. 

"Haruna, I see. Tell me Haruna, was it your turn to serve us our evening meal?" He asked the nervous young girl. She bit her lip, wondering what that question was all about, buy she feared that if she didn't reply, the hot tempered prince would surely punish her.

"No prince Ozai. .. it wasn't my turn."

"Mhm. Now, if it wasn't your turn, why were you doing it?" He asked, now his voice's gentle quality began to crack and leak its vicious tone.

"I… I'm sorry my prince, I don't understand why y-"

"I asked you why you were doing it, you little twit!?" He said, shaking the terrified girl in his arms. Haruna squeaked at the harsh jostling, and almost squirmed, but she stopped herself before she could.

"My friend asked me to cover her shift so that she could have mine, I'm so sorry prince Ozai!" She said through a whimper.  
Ozai grinned. Now he was getting somewhere. 

"Why did she ask you that?" He asked, petting Haruna's brown hair. 

"I… I don't know prince Ozai, all I know is that she wanted to cover the ceremony and I took her place in the kitchen." Said the terrified girl.

"I see… And, are you going to see her now?"

"No prince Ozai, I'm going to sleep… I don't know where she is." Said Haruna, as she wondered why the prince was asking her so many questions about you.

"I believe you Haruna." He said, shoving her harshly away.  
"Get out of my sight! And not a single word about our little conversation to anybody. .. understood?" He asked, approaching the fallen girl, making her coil away in fear from him.

"Yes prince Ozai, I promise. "

"Good." He said, spinning around to walk away, leaving the poor girl confused and scared. She stood, and ran away towards her room, and swore to not say a word to anybody, not even to you, her best friend. 

"Why was he so angry? What did you do to the prince, my friend?" Haruna wondered out loud. She decided to try and put the unnerving scene behind her and, and went to sleep, hoping that prince Ozai wouldn't find you.

_____________________________

You and prince Iroh had settled once again close to the great willow tree near the pond, happy in each other's company in the little world that you had constructed together among the beautiful flowers and trees.

"It's getting late, my rose." He said, gently caressing your face.

"I know… I wish we could stay like this forever. "

"Me too… but this doesn't have to be the last time."  
Your eyes grew wide with happiness, and you tightenedn your hug to the prince, and bashfully kissed him.

"Good… that makes me happy. Iroh, when can we see each other again?" You asked, and he thought for a moment on the answer.

"If it were up to me… I want to see you every single day, my rose. But, perhaps it would be better if we met up here again the night after tomorrow, because I'm supposed to go inspect all of the new recruits tomorrow and that usually takes a good chunk of my day."

"Whenever you say, and I'll be here." You said as he helped you up and off the grassy ground. 

"Then it's settled, we'll meet here same time the night after next." He said, scooping you up for a sweet kiss.

"Yes Iroh, I promise I'll be here." You said as you squeezed him tight once more. You melted in his embrace, and closed your eyes, wishing that this lovely moment never had to come to an end. 

"I love you." He whispered as he held you tight, taking in the scent of your hair all the while.  
He really did hate this moment the most. He hated saying goodbye. He hated not being able to walk you back to your room or kiss you whenever he wanted to. But he took great comfort in knowing that it would only last for a short while.  
Soon, the entire palace would know of the deep love he felt for you, and nothing or no one would be able to stop him.

"I love you, my prince." You said, looking sad but at the same time happy that in a few hours you would see him again.  
The two of you only smiled for a few minutes, before Iroh leaned in and kissed your forehead. 

"Goodbye… see you soon, okay?"

"Okay, and be safe, please." You said, kissing his cheek and then his lips.

"I will be. Promise me that you'll be safe too… no burning yourself with soups or stews or anything." He said with a grin, while you giggled and hugged him again.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." You said, as he stroked your lush hair. Soon, the two of you began walking back towards the entrance of the garden, where you would part ways. He took both of your hands and kissed them, before looking up and smiling at you.

"You go ahead first. I'll come out as soon as you've gone." He said.

"Okay… oh, and Iroh?" You said, pulling your hands away from his grasp.

"Yes?"

"I love you." You said, cupping his cheek in your hand and pulling him in for a kiss, which he enthusiastically returned. 

"You haven't even left and I miss you already. .. I love you." He said, as you pulled away, this time to leave for the night.

"Goodnight Iroh. "

"Goodnight. .."  
And with that, you quietly made your way across the archway that led to the main hallway that led to the palace, taking a careful look around to make sure that nobody was around.  
When you were convinced that nobody else was there, you made a dash for the nearest servants corridor, and ran towards the dormitories with a smile stamped on your face. You couldn't believe that this was happening, and you weren't sure what you had done to deserve the love of such a wonderful man… but you were beyond thankful for his love, and the love you shared. 

"I can't wait until our next meeting." You whispered, while all of the love coursing through your body filled you with a warmth you were absolutely sure would never fade from your heart.

 

Iroh soon dashed from his hiding place, and made for his bed chamber, looking as if he had just won a massive battle.  
But in his heart, knew that there was probably nothing better than this.  
Few things could ever compare to the surge of happiness caused by love.  
He felt no fear over what his family would think, because he would defend his love from anything and feom anybody.  
And nothing would make him give you up. Nothing.


	9. The Day After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody!  
> I just want to give thanks to everybody that has been reading and commenting :)   
> it means so much!  
> Anyway, this chapter is a bit slow paced, but basically we're just revving up for the heavier stuff to come!

The next day when Iroh awoke with the rising sun, he had no reason to suspect that the night before, his younger brother Ozai was stalking around searching for him. Iroh had less of a reason to believe that you were the object of Ozai's lust, which is why he didn't think anything of it when that morning when he joined his family for breakfast, his brother's gaze was prying at him, seemingly searching him for any sign of something different.   
So Iroh took his place next to his father on the dining table after greeting his mother with a kiss on the cheek and his father with a respectful bow and then a hug.

"Good morning my darling, where were you last night? You had me a little worried." Said Ilah, who then took a quick sip of her green tea.

"Oh Ilah, he was probably out celebrating with his companions, right son?" Said Azulon.   
Iroh smiled and rubbed at the back of his neck and laughed a little nervously.

"Actually, I was… uhh… meditating." He managed to stammer out before giving his parents a wide grin.

"Meditating I see. Good, it makes me glad to know that you have become a respectable man, and that you choose to meditate on your new position rather than getting drunk in some pub." Said Azulon.   
The Fire Lord couldn't help but give his son an appreciative nod, before looking at his other son.  
"You are very lucky to have such a good brother Ozai. There can be no better role model in the Fire Nation for you than your older brother. If you're smart, you'll pay attention and pick up a thing or two from him." 

From the moment Azulon began to speak to him, Ozai felt his blood begin to boil. How dare father say such a thing?!   
Ozai thought of all the possible retorts he could use to express his utter displeasure of his father's words, but instead, he nodded at his father.  
Azulon didn't seem to notice Ozai's change in demeanor, but Iroh certainly did. He knew for a cold hard fact that his brother hated to be compared to him, that Ozai was a complicated young man who had aspirations of greatness, but was always thwarted simply because he was born after Iroh. Iroh wished that there was a way to make him feel better, but every time Iroh would invite Ozai along on a walk about the ranks, Ozai refused to be the little tag-a-long brother to the great general, his father's pride and joy.

"Don't worry Ozai, there are more annoying people in our country besides me. Looking up to me shouldn't be so bad, huh?" He said, but he knew that his lighthearted joke would fall on the wounded pride of his young brother.   
Iroh wished that he could tell his father to stop doing that to his brother, but every time Iroh expressed his dislike of his father's comments, it only seemed to imflame Azulon's comparisons.

"Right." Answered Ozai curtly, and took to poking at his omelet mindlessly for a while.  
Iroh cleared his throat to keep the tension from taking over their space, and before he could say anything else, Ozai looked straight at him, and narrowed his eyes.

"Meditating you say? On what, if I may ask?" Asked Ozai with his eyes narrowed.   
Iroh cleared his throat again, and coughed a little, caught off guard by his brother's sudden question. 

"Well, on my new position, Ozai. It's important for me to keep a clear, calculating mind in order to do my job right." He said, smirking because he was happy with the plausible lie he had just thrown at his brother.  
Iroh didn't particularly like to lie, but he was quite good at it when he had to be. 

"I see, of course. Must have been quite the intense meditation session, seeing as how you missed dinner and all. We know how much you like to eat. " said Ozai, happy with the jab thrown in there at the end.  
Spirits, he swore that if Iroh wasn't so active and athletic, he'd be a total lard ass…  
Azulon was just about to reprimand the young prince for being so disrespectful towards his brother, but before he could, Iroh broke into a spell of hearty laughter, finding his brother's wit funny and refreshing, even if he did find all of Ozai's questions rather odd and out of character. 

"Ah yes, no use in denying that my appreciation for fine foods and teas is a small one. But taking in and tasting all that life has to offer is one of the small blessings we must count and relish in. Not everyone is as fortunate as we are, after all." Mused Iroh, making Ozai roll his eyes, but Ilah showered him with praise for being so wise, and Azulon took note of his son's outlook.

"It does me such good to hear you speak like that son. You really have become a well rounded man. I'm proud of you Iroh."

Iroh smiled and nodded at his parents, and began to eat again in silence.  
Finally in the confines of his throughts, he remembered the lovely evening he spent at your side, smiling every time he remembered the kisses you allowed him to pepper on your lips and cheeks. He couldn't help but blush when he thought about your warm breath ghosting his skin when he had you in his embrace, or how he felt you tremble when he wrapped his arms around your waist, making him lose control of his facial muscles as he broke out into a wide, smug grin.

While their parents chatted away over some stupid plans for commissioning a new wing for the palace, Ozai was watching his brother intently. His golden eyes studied Iroh's smile that seemed to just spring out of nowhere, making young Ozai's scrutiny more focused into a pounding curiousity.   
Iroh looked different, just the way he carried himself was suspiciousto Ozai's eyes. He could almost swear that Iroh looked like he was… in love.

_____________________________

 

The day tugged on as usual, but the thoughts that coursed through your mind were anything but the usual.  
Remembering your meeting with the prince was distracting for almost the entire day, that even Hildreth had to snap you out of the clouds when she asked you to peel some radishes for a salad that was going to be served for the royal family that evening. 

"What's the matter with you today? I asked you to peel these radishes half an hour ago little lady, and you're still doing that? We have so much to do! Hurry up with those, you still have to poach the chicken and peel the bananas for the dessert we have to make." She said, huffing away and leaving you there with your chores, and you did your best to push back the thoughts that flooded your mind as you thought about Iroh, and his soft kisses and warm embrace.   
You knew that tomorrow you'd be able to be with him again, and you were excited to see him that night when you served him dinner.  
Suddenly, the swinging door to the kitchen opened and in came Haruna pulling a trolley full of pots and pans behind her.  
As soon as she saw you, she rushed to hug you. You embraced your friend back, but you were somewhat confused at her sudden hug.

"Hey, I'm so glad to see you. Are you okay?" She asked nervously, all while looking over her shoulder, which was quite alarming to you.

"I'm okay Haruna, but are you? Why are you so nervous?" You asked, coming to embrace your friend once again as her expression didn't soften at all when you asked her what was wrong.

Haruna thought for a moment, wondering what it was that she was supposed to do. After all, she remembered prince Ozai's threat very vividly, making her tremble at the thought of what he could do to her.  
But yoi were her best friend, and she didn't want to see you get hurt… or worse.

"It's… oh, I'm just so happy to see you, that's all."

"I'm really happy to see you too, but you scared me!" You said, giving her a gentle slap on the arm.

"Sorry… I didn't want to do that at all, just…" Haruna looked around the enclosed space, and when she was satisfied seeing that it was empty, she looked at you once more, took a deep breath, and was about to tell you all about what happened with the prince.  
Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a loud rumbling was heard as another trolley made its way towards the kitchen, and Hildreth marched in pushing the trolley. 

"My word, what lazy girls! This isn't socializing time! Get to your chores, Haruna! Don't you have to wash lady Ilah's curtains? Get to it, now! Up!" Said Hildreth, pushing past the girls, grabbing Haruna by the arm and pulling her away from you.

"We'll talk later, after dinner!" She said as she followed orders.

"Okay, deal. See you later!" 

 

"I wonder what she needs to tell me.."


	10. Sneaking Around

Iroh was heading back to the palace after a long day of rigorous training among the ranks of men under his command.  
While Iroh really did enjoy all his time spent among his men training, his mind was elsewhere.  
He knew that he was going to see you for dinner that night, which made his heart beat just a bit faster in his chest.  
He dismissed his men early from their training session, because there was no way he would allow you to see him all scruffy and sweaty from his day of vigorous exercise. 

"But general, you never dismiss us early! In fact, you usually keep us late! What's up today?" He heard so many of his soldiers question.  
He couldn't possibly tell them the truth, so instead he told them that he had some official royal stuff he had to take care of, and he couldn't stay that late.  
No, he had to run to his room to bathe. Sprinting in the mud while Firebending and getting charred mud flung in his face was certainly not attractive. 

_____________________________

 

Tonight was your night to serve dinner, and even though you knew that you wouldn't be able to talk to your prince like you wanted to, at least you would be able to see him… and then, after dinner, you two would be together again…

You made sure that everything would be absolutely perfect when you went out there to serve the royal family.  
The time had come, and you could feel your heart begin to flutter at the thought of seeing him again.  
All you had to do was be as discreet as possible, and everything would go as planned.

The minutes ticked on, and finally, it was time.

"The royal family is already seated, is everything ready?" Asked Hildreth, to everyone in general. The cooks had already placed the food into the serving trays, and while everyone else in the kitchen was busy cleaning up, you and the two other servers were ready with the trays in hand.

"Hurry up, Fire Lord Azulon hates tardiness, you know that!" She called after you as you struggled to balance the heavy soup pot with the metal ladle.  
Every step you took made the smile on your face widen, because you were but a few moments away from seeing Iroh…

The wide doors were opened for you, and as soon as you stepped into the grand dining room, the first thing you saw were a pair of lovely amber eyes light up with absolute joy as soon as they came to rest on you, and now it was impossible to not smile at a man as wonderful as him.  
You couldn't help but lock your gaze onto his, and he did nothing to avert his eyes away from you.  
As far as you were concerned, only him and his gaze mattered.

Iroh couldn't keep his smile at bay, nor could he bring himself to look away as you carefully stepped into the dining hall.  
You carefully placed the heavy pot on a small serving train, and gave Azulon a deep bow, before moving on to lady Ilah, prince Ozai, and finally, you met with his eyes, and caredully gave him a bow.  
He hated the fact that you had to bow to him, but it was a custom that went with tradition, and it would have looked odd if you didn't bow to him… 

What Iroh failed to notice was the way that his brother's eyes were sharply trained on him, noticing the subtle change in his eyes as soon as you happened to enter the room.

"Perhaps I'm simply imagining things, but… there's something there... in his eyes, in her eyes… No! There can't be anything there, because she's MINE."  
Ozai's thoughts were swirling in his mind, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to do much… yet. Besides, he wasn't even sure if there was really anything there or if his jealous mind was just conjuring things up.  
In any case, he was just relieved that you were there, that Iroh was there, close by where he would be able to keep tabs on him.  
From now on, Iroh wouldn't be able to sneak off that easily.  
He was certain of it.

"Prince Ozai, may I serve you some chowder?"

Your voice weaved through his veins, and he looked at you intently.  
Yes, you were deliciously beautiful, the perfect conquest for him, the perfect toy for him…  
Few thoughts thrilled him more than those, and he was sure that soon you would be his.  
Only his, for as long as he wanted.

"Yes." He said, keeping completely still, making it harder to serve him his chowder. You were slightly put off by his behavior, but it was something you had come to expect from the youngest prince.  
You carefully spooned some soup into his porcelain bowl, making sure that you wouldn't touch him at all, not allowing yourself to even graze your arm against his.  
Ozai turned his head just slightly, and met with your eyes.  
You smiled at him, but you were careful to keep the smile short and polite.

"That's enough." He said, just as you spooned some chowder into his bowl, filling it halfway.

"Please enjoy, my prince." You said, moving on to lady Ilah, who barely paid you any mind, as she said something to her husband.  
Next was the fire lord.

"Good evening my lord, may I please serve you some chowder?"

"Of course."  
You carefully spooned some chowder, and stopped when he waved at you to do so.

"Please enjoy my Lord, and may you be blessed."  
Finally, it came time to serve your prince, the one that owned your heart.  
You walked over to his side, and did your very best to keep your hands from trembling.

"May I serve you, my prince?" You asked as neutrally as possible.

"I would love some, thank you." He said, pushing his bowl out slightly to make it easier for you to pour the chowder.

"You're very welcome, my prince… may you be blessed."

"Thank you… may you be blessed as well." He said, making his family look up at him with a slightly confused look on all of their faces. It wasn't customary to speak that way to a servant, but knowing Iroh.…

"Thank you, my prince… you're far too kind." You said, as you moved on and let the rest of the servers serve their meal.  
You stood back, and watched Iroh as he spoke with his family, and you looked out of a window, seeing that the sun was close to setting… soon you would be able to be with him.

Iroh kept sending discreet glances at you, and as soon as he finished his meal, he quickly excused himself. You picked up his empty plate, and made your way back to the kitchen, leaving it in the dirty dish area, and you began to make it out back towards the dining room, when suddenly you felt a pair of strong hands pull you into a small cramped corner of the kitchen corridor.  
You gasped and were about to scream, when you realized who had pulled you into that dark corner. 

"My rose… how I've missed this." He said, as he wrapped his arms around you and pressed his lips gently against yours.  
You returned the kiss with absolute delight, your fingers making their way to Iroh's strong jaw, caressing it softly as he continued to deepen the kiss.  
You pressed your lips harder against his, coaxing him on.  
He pulled you in closer still, but the sound of a door opening in the distance made you both jolt. Iroh listened, and determined that he had just some time to leave unnoticed. 

"I'll meet you at our garden, okay."

"Yes Iroh.…" you said, still dazed and flushed from the deep, loving kiss he gave you. He was just as flushed as you were, but he managed a smile before he slinked off, unnoticed.  
Your heart danced in your chest, and you could still feel yhe warmth his lips had left behind on yours, making the need to see him just that much more thrilling…

Almost time, and you'd have him all to yourself.


	11. The Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm back after a long holiday!  
> So this chapter is the transition into the more intense scenes and chapters that are coming up, so I really hope you enjoy this! The next chapter is almost finished, so I'm planning on posting that very soon, probably within the next few days!  
> I really hope you enjoy, and hopefully you enjoy the setup for future chapters :)

Just as the sun began to set, you were almost ready to go see prince Iroh, and you hoped that you would be there first again just like last time.  
You took a look in the small mirror that was in your room, and you were satisfied with what you saw… you could only hope that Iroh thought the same way that you did.  
Again you found yourself sneaking past groups of people, through corridors in utmost silence, and soon enough, you reached the place of your meeting with Iroh.  
Before stepping through the archway, you looked around to make sure that nobody was around to see you. As soon as you were satisfied that the way was clear, you slowly entered the beautiful garden. It was just as wondrous as the very first time that you stepped inside, only this time your heart soared with joy and loving impatience. You looked around, and it seemed that you were first again.  
You sighed in relief, and just as your shoulders began to relax, you felt a pair of strong, warm hands settle gently on your shoulders, pulling you closer, and instantly you knew who it was.  
"Looks like I beat you here this time." He said, spinning youp around and planting a soft kiss on your cheek.

You didn't reply, instead you pulled him closer to you.

"I know… but I'm just happy that you're here." You said, moving your lips closer to his, locking your mouths together to form a sweet kiss.

"I've missed you…" he managed to say through the kiss.

"Me too…"  
You squeezed him tight, unwilling to let this happiness escape, and you hoped that it would remain that way for the rest of the night.

 

_____________________

 

Ozai took a sharp breath, preparing himself to enter his elder brother's quarters.  
He opened the door quietly, and slowly crept inside. He took a quick peek into the large living space that separated Iroh's room from the rest of the palace.  
Ozai took a quick look around, and once he was satisfied that all was clear, he began to creep towards his bed chamber. 

"I wonder what that fool is doing… hopefully he won't notice me." Thoughy Ozai.  
As quietly as he could, he turned the copper doorknob, and peeked inside,fully expecting to see his brother reading at his bedside table or perhaps resting on his bed, but instead, Ozai was greeted by an empty room.

"Gone again? Well, this is interesting brother… now, the big question, where have you gone off to? It's not like you to go off after dinner…" Ozai said to himself as he scanned his brother's room for any clues as to Iroh's whereabouts.  
He looked around, only to see a pile of clothes next to the bed, and from what Ozai could tell, they were fresh.

"Tossing around clean clothes?" He said, as he picked up a red jacket from off the ground and took a quick whiff to confirm his suspicions.  
Clean.

"Tsk tsk Iroh... I see you were in quite the rush. Didn't even bother to pick these up. If only father could see, then maybe he'd stop bragging about how orderly you are." Said Ozai bitterly, dropping the jacket back down onto the ground, wishing almost that he could step on the damned thing, but he knew that leaving behind an obvious footprint wouldn't do.  
Ozai took another quick look around the room, just to make sure that he didn't miss a thing, and as soon as he was satisfied, he left the room. 

He just had to know where Iroh was, especially after the way he was behaving when Ozai found him after dinner. Iroh was absolutely adamant about not letting Ozai advance any further down the servant's hallway, and he was even more stubborn when Ozai asked him what he was doing there. It was all just too suspicious.

"Oh! Ahem… hello brother, what are you doing back here?" Asked Iroh that evening as Ozai went in search of his missing brother. Iroh was wiping at his bottom lip with seemingly absurd discretion, and he stopped as soon as Ozai's eyes noticed the motion.

"Me? What are you doing here?" He asked, intending to move past his brother and see what was going on.

"Uh… don't go back there, its… dirty. Umm… there's, I mean, they're cutting up fish and its a rather unpleasant smell. Why don't we go for a sporting sibling sparring session?" Offered Iroh, wrapping his arm around Ozai's shoulders and spinning hima around in the opposite direction.  
Ozai growled, and broke away from his brother's grip.

"Do you take me for an idiot? I won't have you forbid me a damn thing! If I feel like passing, then I will." Said Ozai in an icy cold tone. Iroh merely looked a bit surprised by his brother's outburst, but nonetheless, kept calm.

"You're right Ozai, please forgive me. Of course you can pass, after all, this is your home."  
That tone drove Ozai mad. That calm and collected voice of Iroh's that he was absolutely certain was a mask of calm to hide his interior thoughts.  
How he despised him.  
Ozai locked his gaze onto his brother's a final time before marching past him, grazing him just slightly with his shoulder as he passed by, and towards where Iroh had sprung out of not a few moments ago.  
Iroh looked at his brother in confusion, wondering what he was playing at, but he was thankful that he had the sense to tell you to leave quickly as soon as he heard the door open and somebody draw near.  
Ozai was certain that his brother was hiding something… or someone, for that matter. 

"Ozai… I'm confused, what are you looking for, exactly?" Asked Iroh as he drew nearer to his brother.

"Me? I'm not looking for anything. The better question here would be, what are you hiding?"

"Don't be ridiculous Ozai, I'm not hiding a single thing. Stop acting like a child. Now do you see why father reprimands you constantly? You have to learn to stop being so insecure! What need have you to see what I was or wasn't doing? Does it affect you somehow? Tell me, I would absolutely love to know!"  
Iroh very rarely spoke like that to Ozai, or anybody for that matter, but when he did, Ozai had to begrudgingly admit that he did know how to demand respect...  
And Ozai hated him just a bit more because of it.  
He said nothing further to his brother, and pushed through him, refusing to look at him, his wounded pride stung from the fact that he was at a loss for words when Iroh spoke to him like that.

And precisely because of that, he had to know what Iroh was up to. Perhaps he would be able to unearth something that he would be able to use to his advantage. 

"No matter, I'll just have another look around. You're slick brother, you're pretty smart I'll give you that… but even you're bound to make a mistake eventually." He murmured, slipping into the shadows of the hidden hallways he usually walked.  
After a while of searching, he became increasingly bored, and decided to retire for the night, without paying attention to where exactly he was going. Instead, his mind was occupied once again by the image of you.  
The thought of you walking past him with your gaze glued on to the floor, offering him a half smile as you passed. His lips involuntarily smiled as his thoughts continued to drift to your soft voice. Trapped in his thoughts, he didn't much pay attention to where he was going. 

"The fact that you have eluded me for so long is unacceptable. My meddlesome brother has been to blame, but he can't be everywhere all the time. He can't shield you forever." He said, suddenly aware of where he was. 

"Ah, well, this is refreshing." He murmured, remembering that he hadn't ventured into the eastern sections of the palace in some time.  
"Perhaps it would be best if I eased up on my search for my brother for the night. What do I expect to find anyway? Its notp like he's going to do anything within the palace- w- wha??? Who's laughing around here? Perhaps I'm imagining things… but… no, that was definitely a laugh… but who?"  
Ozai wondered silently who it was, and as he got closer, the jumbled sounds of laughter and talking became clearer and clearer by the step.  
He tried to hush his breath as best as he could to listen harder as he heard the sounds of laughter suddenly become muffled for a moment before sounding just as clear as it had been.

"Shhh… Iroh, we'll be caught!" Said a soft feminine voice, immediately followed by a light giggle.  
Ozai's attention was fully captured, and he pressed himself closer to the cold wall of the hallway straining to hear all yhat he could.  
He had found Iroh at last, as though the spirits themselves had guided him towards this very spot where he would be able to listen to everything.  
But the question pressing at his mind now was a simple one, and one that would not rest until he had the answer; who was it that his brother was meeting here in this fairly secluded spot, somewhere Iroh knew his family seldom frequented? Who?  
Would he dare take a peek, potentially ruining his cover? 

"He won't notice… just a peek."  
Ozai listened further, and heard no words, they had been replaced now by silence, fractured by the occasional and obvious sound of kissing, of lips joining and gently separating over and over and over again.

"Disgusting…" he murmured as he rolled his eyes.

"I know my rose… I know, I'm sorry… " he heard his brother say just above a whisper, followed by more of those sounds.

"No, don't be… "

Ozai continued to listen, this time he heard nothing but silence, nothing, not a giggle, nor kissing... just, silence. 

"What… did they leave? What's going-"  
Ozai chanced a peek, wondering what had happened to his brother and the mysterious woman, when just as suddenly as he looked, his eyes couldn't believe what they took in.  
Indeed, it was Iroh's arms wrapped around the one person he couldn't tolerate to think of being in his embrace…  
You.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, so sorry that this ended in a cliffhanger, but I promise to post the next chapter very quickly because its almost done!  
> Thank you so much for reading!


	12. Cruel Ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm back! So sorry for the small chapter, but I'm finally back and should be posting on a regular basis again :)
> 
> Please, enjoy.

A sight he almost didn't believe even as his eyes blasted the image into his mind. Ozai felt his blood rush through his veins in a furious race, almost losing all control. It took every ounce of will that was in his body to not summon fire to his hands and blast away the disgusting sight that greeted his curiousity. 

He was forced to tear his gaze away when he noticed your arms slowly and almost lovingly loosen from around his brother's body. He quickly pressed his back to the wall of the dark corridor where he was hiding, and tried to sharpen his focus on anything that would be spoken.

"Iroh?"

"Yes, my rose?"

"When?"

"Soon, very soon, I promise."

Another kiss, another hit to Ozai's pride.

"I trust you, my prince. More than anything or anyone."  
Ozai heard his brother let out a husky, subdued chuckle. 

"Do you have any idea at all what you do to me?"

"I might just have an idea…"

Ozai clenched his teeth down hard against eachother, yet he refused to pay the soreness of jaw any mind, especially not when he heard such a playfully seductive tone weigh heavily through the words you uttered to his brother.

"Breathe... just breathe. " he told himself when he felt his inner fire ignite all on its own and swell at his fingertips.  
He was only brought down from his fiery thoughts when he heard the quiet, soft chuckles and the sound of more kissing.

"I have to- I have to- Iroh… I should leave, before we get caught." Iroh's kisses interrupted you every time you had tried to speak.

"Alright... I know, I know…"

Ozai risked another peek, and saw the two of you in a sweet embrace.

The more he saw, the more Ozai felt his stomach clench. Iroh really was such a sap, so unbearably sweet to you that he couldn't help the urge to roll his eyes, convinced that his brother was even more of an idiot than he had originally thought.

"Goodbye, my rose."

"See you soon?"

"Yes, you'll know when."

And with that, he heard the strong steps of his brother begin to make their way close to where Ozai was hiding. Quickly, he pressed himself even tighter to the dark wall, sinking deeper into the darkness. From there, he watched as his brother walked past, his stride even lighter and stronger than usual. As soon as Iroh was completely out of sight, Ozai lunged at the chance to look to where he had seen you last, only to see the space empty.

"Damn…" he nearly growled, punching at the wall in front of him with all of his fury, leaving a charred hole in the fine material.  
He took a final look around and when he was certain that he was alone, he walked quickly towards the only other corridor that was available for servants, and he smiled at his find.

"So, you like royalty, I see. Well, this cerainly is interesting. Leave it to Iroh to actually fall in love with the likes of someone like you... my brother thinks he can just go around poaching on my territory… we'll see. Iroh has himself quite the lovely 'love'… well, we'll see how he likes playing with broken toys.


	13. The Innocent Must Pay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUICK NOTE:  
> This chapter is quite different from the rest of this story, and it may make some of you uncomfortable. I'm a bit nervous about this one, but I really needed to get this chapter out to jump into the next phase of this tale.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter nonetheless, and please tell me what you think!

Ozai abandoned the eastern wing of the palace in a furious pace, he didn't know if he wanted to hunt his brother down and broil him alive, or if he wanted to seek you out and…  
And?  
He bit his lip to force a growl from his throat down, and he was forced to admot to himself that he hadn't quite thought about what he would do now that he knew what was hidden between you and Iroh. He hated to admit it, but things wouldn't be as simple as he thought they would have been in the start.  
He had to swallow down the setback your new secret relationship with his brother caused.  
Now you were no longer an anonymous servant girl that ignited his dark lust, but you had become someone he was sure Iroh would burn down the entire world for.  
The thought made him engulf his fists in a seething flame that threatened to peel the skin from his knuckles, and he managed to tone down the fire enough to keep from hurting himself. 

"Damn you!" He hissed, slamming his fist into the red wall of the dim corridor he was striding through, with so much force that he made a hole in the wall. Without even thinking, Ozai pulled his hand from the jagged wall only to realize a few steps further that he was bleeding from a deep cut that tore through his skin at the moment of impact with the hard wall. The sting made him growl from the pit of his stomach with rage, frustration, jealousy and a vile, brewing hate that little by little grew increasingly volatile. Even as he made his way out of the dark corridor and into the darkened courtyard at the end of it his mind throttled him with increasingly dark thoughts. He rounded a corner to reach his room, when he began to hear soft footsteps accompanied by gentle, feminine humming, and like a hungry predator, Ozai slowed his pace, and pressed himself to a shadow cloaked wall as he listened to the sound become clearer and the footsteps coming closer.

After just a few short seconds, the source of the noise passed just in front of Ozai. He strained his eyes to focus on the figure passing infront of him, and after just a second, his eyes widened and narrowed with surprise and then a sick delight. 

"Well well, what do we have here, 'lovely rose'... why, I didn't expect to see you here… indeed, it seems like my night is about to take a turn for the better…" Ozai thought, and with that, he quietly began to trail behind the young woman who sighed and rubbed at the back of her neck. She continued with her simple melody.  
Ozai waited a few seconds until the girl was getting closer annd closer to a towering red pilar, and he took a deep breath.  
"You're mine!" 

Ozai rushed towards the young woman, and before the girl even had time to scream or react in any way, Ozai had managed to slam her against the pilar making her knock her head on the hard stone, rendering her unconscious instantaneously.  
Ozai caught her limp body in his arms, and before anybody else could see what had happened, he threw her over his shoulder in a quick and fluid motion.  
He had won, yes, finally.  
He had his prey.  
At last. 

He pushed the door to his bedroom open with a hard push, making the door rattle with the force of the blow.  
With little ceremony, he threw the limp body onto his bed and rushed to close his door and secure it with both locks he hardly ever saw the point in using, but tonight… tonight was different.  
As soon as he finished with all of the troublesome locks, he took a deep breath, and his smile widened. He slowly made his way to his bed, carefully eyeing the girl laying there, her breath coming in ragged and labored. 

"Finally… you're mine." He said, pressing his hand slowly and almost gently against the side of the girl's face feeling the smooth, warm skin at his fingertips. He closed his eyes, and imagined that just for a second, the girl currently unconscious beneath him was simply laying still accepting his touch,  
and certainly not thinking about his insufferable brother.  
He bent down to give the motionless girl a kiss on the forehead, but he was quite surprised when the girl began to move, and a tiny moan escaped her lips.

Ozai felt his heart quicken, and he planted the gentle kiss on her forehead. The girl flinched at the feeling and yet she remained still. Ozai took that as a sign of acceptance, and kissed her cheek next. As soon as his lips left their kiss, he heard a sharp gasp. Quick as lightning, he lunged on top of the screaming girl, and felt a spark of desire ignite in his lower abdomen at the thought of being in complete control of the girl. He pushed his hand against her mouth just in time to muffle a panicked scream.

"Hush…" he said in a ragged whisper as the girl tried desperately to free herself from his grasp. The girl tried to scream but Ozai's hand did an excellent job at keeping them down. With a flick of his free wrist, Ozai summoned a flame and made it twirl around his room which made a few of the candles catch fire. With the dim, warm light cutting through the darkness, and looked down at his prey.

"What?!" He growled when he realized his mistake.  
Instead of seeing you in his power, he had another girl squirming and looking up at him in absolute panic and horror. 

"It's you…" he said, remembering now full well that this was the girl he had encountered not too long ago…

"Please… please! My prince, please don't hurt me." Haruna begged at the moment Ozai took his hand away from her mouth for just a second.  
Ozai clenched his jaw and felt that same horrific ragge bubble in the pit of his stomach, spreading from there all the way through his body.  
He had gotten the wrong girl, in his bed wasn't the one he wanted.

"Damn!" Said Ozai through his clenched teeth, raising his free hand to connect with Haruna's cheek in a hard smack. Haruna yelped in pain, and Ozai's rage was only fueled by her pained moans through his hands.

"Shut up! Shut up if you know what's good for you!"  
Another smack, this one harder than the last as he tried to beat the girl into silence.  
Haruna tried fought as hard as she could to free herself from his rage, but Ozai was much too strong for her.  
Her tears blurred her vision and she tried in vain to appeal to some humanity and compassion in Ozai. In one swift motion, Ozai yanked her up harshly by the wrists, and slammed her against the nearest wall.

"Prince Ozai please stop! Let me go!" 

"Oh, I'll let you go, I'm going to let you go once I feel like it, filthy peasant!" He hissed.

"Why??! Why?" Haruna barely managed to gasp as her lungs fought hard to catch what oxygen they could. 

"Shut up! And not a single word from you sweet girl." He said as he shook the terrified girl, landing a hard slap to Haruna. 

"I've done nothing to deserve this my prince! Please let me go, I promise to keep quiet. I'm your loyal servant! Please have mercy!"

As soon as Haruna finished speaking, he threw her to his bed once again, and Haruna squirmed to try and escape her captor, but before she could get very far, Ozai grabbed her and climbed on top of her and straddled her hips. He took hold of her wrists once again, and pushed her down onto the mattress with all of his strength. 

"Not a word sweet one... you will stand my wrath and if you so much as utter a single word…"  
With his bending, Ozai heated his hands enough to burn the helpless Haruna's wrists as if scalding water had drenched them, and the poor girl let out a heartbreaking cry of pain.  
"And that's just a taste of what awaits you if you betray me."

Haruna's eyes widened in unfiltered horror as Ozai's hands seemed to heat up once more…

 

In the darkness of the palace, a blood curdling wail haunted the night.


	14. Reflecting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy to be back! Please enjoy this new chapter.  
> This chapter is dedicated to my reader named Debbie. Thanks so much for your support darling!

Walking back to your room after your secret meeting with the man of your dreams was a bit awkward as you passed people by and you had to keep your head down to hide your beaming smile. You couldn't help it, and it was useless to try and tame it. You were just too happy to not smile.

"What's with you?" Asked a young boy as he passed by you. You jumped a bit at the sound of his voice which was unexpected.

"What are you talking about?" You asked as the boy began to follow you and seemingly forgot all about where he was going.

"You look weird. Why are you smiling like that?" He asked. 

"Oh hush Fennel. I'm not smiling any differently than on any other day. You're just imagining things, like always." You said as you pressed your lips together to stop smiling so much like the boy accused.

"I'm not imagining things! You hardly ever smile like that… in FACT, nobody smiles like that! And stop calling me Fennel!" He said, pouting.  
You giggled at his little outburst and mussed up the jumble of hair on his head as you affectionately ran your fingers through his hair. You gave his rosy cheek a gentle pinch and spoke.

"I'm sorry Fennel I apologize. Now, off you go." You said, rushing him along hoping that the curious child wouldn't pry anymore.  
A frown wrinkled his small nose and in a whiny voice, he moaned before crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

"Why don't you wanna tell me?! I'm not a tattle taler!" He said in his whiny voice.

"I know you're not sweetheart, but there's nothing to tell, honest."  
The boy squinted at you so much that one of his eyes closed completely and he puckered his lips as he began to stroke his chin, as if debating with himself on whether he believed you or not. 

"Well... okay. I guess I believe you... even if you did look like you were very, very happy. Oh well, I guess the men are right, women are weird. Good night!" Said the boy you affectionately called Fennel turned on his heel and retook his previous route to wherever he was going originally.  
You let out a tiny sigh of relief when he was back on his way, but the situation filled your mind with a whole new set of thoughts…  
If a little kid like Fennel noticed your behavior, surely other people would catch on to you even quicker.  
You had to be careful. You knew that what you were doing was risky and maybe a bit reckless, but you couldn't help the way that you felt for Iroh. You loved him far too much to back away from him, and if you had to risk severe consequences in order to be with him, even in secret, and even if it wasn't every single day like you wanted... then that was a risk you were willing to take.  
You finally made it up to your room, and opened Haruna's door to see if she was there. You found that you were by yourself in the small cubicle that you and Haruna shared. 

Haruna must still be on duty but it was already getting late and surely she would be back any minute. You quickly got ready for bed and made sure to set some water out for her in the washbasin so that she wouldn't have to do it herself when she came back to the room tired and looking only to get clean and into bed.

Once you were in the comfort and privacy of your bed, you finally allowed yourself to grin and enjoy the feeling of those butterflies beating away.

Iroh…

You wished that you were able to run into his arms freely and without fear, you wished that you could kiss him to your hearts content unafraid. Your thoughts drifted to the most wonderful hours of your life, reliving every moment of your time spent with him. You could swear you could still even feel his warm lips catching yours even if the moment was left behind a while back. 

"Soon, soon my prince. Oh, how I miss you already." You murmured, as sleep began to make your eyelids heavier and heavier.  
You didn't know what tomorrow would bring. You didn't know what the future held for you and the love you were already so devoted to… all you knew was that for that night… in that moment, you were happy.

\-----------------------------------------------

Iroh reached his room after a stealthy sprint, taking care to avoid being seen by anybody. As soon as he reached the door, he finally allowed himself to relax and breathe freely. He stripped off his clothes that he wore to go see you and pulled on some loose fitting trousers and running sandals, choosing to go shirtless as he bagan some rigorous training.  
He pushed his body to the max as he did hundreds of sit ups and push ups, all in an effort to clear his mind.  
Iroh was no fool.  
He knew that his love for you would not be smiled upon by his family, much less the fire sages. Already they had begun to pester him about his plans for the future, putting much emphasis on his duty of choosing a wife. He recalled a conversation he had not long ago with the Elder Fire Sage after one of his many rounds of studying within the royal libraries. Iroh still remembered yhe fright he felt when he finished reading an anthology of past accomplishments of the royal family, and found himself face to face with the Elder.

"You must honor your family, your title and most of all your nation by choosing the ideal wife. The title of Fire Lady carries with it many responsibilities and duties, and it is crucial that you choose wisely. The Fire Lady is the most visible living representation of the beauty and fertility of our nation, and not just any woman will do. Agni will guide you in the right direction, I'm sure of that, prince Iroh." Said the old man after much lecturing that Iroh didn't feel like he needed.  
The lecture carried with it even more of a meddlesome weight for Iroh because by the time it was given to him, his heart had already fallen for the shy, gentle eyes of none other than one of his servant girls. You.  
Iroh didn't care that you were a servant girl, nor did he care that you didn't hail feom royalty or nobility. He didn't want anybody else, because you were all he needed, all he wanted. What Iroh feared the most was something he didn't even want to think about, but it was a harsh reality he had to face.  
The penalty for a relationship held between a commoner and a member of the royal family?  
For the royal, practically nothing would happen.  
For the commoner… the penalty was a flogging and subsequent banishment. And that was getting off easy.

He would die before he allowed any of that to happen to you. No, he would have to handle things more delicately.… but how??? He would have to come up with a plan, something to ease the way… 

"You'd make the most beautiful Fire Lady in the history of our nation…"

His body was drenched in a sheen of sweat by now, his thoughts too deep and thick to even feel the burning of his abdomen due to so many sit ups. 

"I don't know what's going to happen my love… but I'll do anything to keep you safe. Anything. "

\-----------------------------------------------------

In the darkness of the younger prince's room, all that could be heard were tiny pained moans and sobs.  
The bed creaked violently and after a sickening groan, and Ozai collapsed next to a bruised and bloodied girl.  
After the prince collapsed next to her, Haruna began to cry in earnest. She felt a gouging shame rock through her entire being after being used and abused so horribly by Ozai.  
Haruna tried to speak, but all that came out were sobs and broken cries.

"Get out of my bed." Barked Ozai when he grew sick of Haruna's cries.  
Haruna only faintly nodded and tried to rock herself out of the bed, only to let out a pained groan. Her entire body was battered. She couldn't believe the amount of pain that rocked through her entire body. Literally from head to toe, she hurt. Ozai had beat her beyond what she thought she could handle, and then some, the prince proved to have absolutely no mercy.

"It hurts…" she managed to breathe out as soon as she stepped on the ground and felt shock waves rock through her body, the worst coming from where Ozai had broken her maidenhead. 

She heard Ozai rise quickly from his bed, and stride towards her.

"Get out, get out now of you know what's good for you, you worthless girl. And let me warn you…" he said, grabbing Haruna's already bruised jaw and squeezing it tight.  
"If you utter even a single word of this… I'll kill you, dear child. I'll kill you." He growled, pushing her harshly back and picking up her sandals for her and shoving them at her before grabbing her arm and practically dragging her to the door.

"Shut your whining you insufferable bitch… you liked it." He said, shoving her with no mercy out the door and slamming the door shut. Haruna fell on to the ground and collapsed in her sorrow.  
She somehow managed to get to her room, and fell into her bed exhausted as could be…  
Her sleep was filled with nightmares, but she was happy that at least her cubicle mate was smiling in her sleep.


	15. Everybody's Acting So Strange...

The following morning, you had no time to dwell on what had happened the night before. You had to be up very early to collect all of the linens from the kitchen and wash them so that they would be ready in time for supper. You hopped out of bed and washed and changed as quickly as you could.

"Haruna? You up yet?" You asked, wondering if she would accompany you for breakfast even though her shift wasn't supposed to start until the afternoon. You heard a ruffling of her sheets, but she didn't reply. 

""Come on sleepy head, I bet you haven't had anything to eat in at least 12 hours, let's go have some breakfast." You said again. 

"I'm not hungry. You go ahead without me, I'll be down in a while. I'm just... really tired." She said after what seemed like a little hesitation to speak on her part. 

"Are you feeling well? You sound sick Haruna." You asked, a little worried now that you heard her voice. It seemed strained and somewhat broken up, almost as if she had been crying. 

"No! I mean, yes, I'm a little sick, but I'll be fine. I just need a little rest." She said.

"Can I come in?" You asked, already reaching for the knob of the thin wooden door when you heard her shout.

"Don't come in! I'm... not dressed." She said sounding a bit exasperated. You felt just a tiny sting when you heard her. She had never once raised her voice like that. To you, Haruna was more like a sister than anything else, and hearing her speak like that made you worry even more. 

"I'm sorry." You said, backing away from the door.

"No, wait, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken like that to you… please forgive me." You could hear her say through the door, and you couldn't help the tiny smile that came to your face.

"You have nothing to apologize about. I'm just a little worried about you Haruna, that's all." 

"I know… thank you. I really appreciate the fact that you care about me sweetie. Don't you worry about me, okay? I'll be fine, I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Please, I just want to sleep a little longer."

"Well… I suppose... Rest up, okay? I'll be up in a while to see how you're doing.

"Okay, thank you."  
You smiled again to yourself and turned on your heel to hurry on to your day and just as you neared the door leading out to the hallway, you heard her scramble out of bed.

"Wait!" She cried, making you nearly jump back to the her door. 

"Haruna?!" You said with alarm clearly present in your voice. You pressed your cheek against the door and listened. 

"Be careful.… promise me that you'll be careful, okay?" You heard her voice so much closer than before, and you were certain that she was pressed against the door from the other side talking to you.

"I promise. Haruna, you're starting to scare me, please open the d-" 

"It's getting late sweetie, go before Hildreth has a chance to yell at you. Go." 

"But-" 

You cut yourself off, and sighed as you began to walk away as you considered what she had said. You really did have to get going and from the looks of it, she wasn't in the mood to keep on talking. Her warning though, made you wonder why she would say that to you. She was acting so strangely, you couldn't understand what was going on.  
For now, all you could do was hope that by the time you came back to the room, that she would be better.  
By the time you reached the large kitchen where everybody met to have orders given to them by Hildreth, the elder woman was already handing out burlap sacks to the people who would be needing them for the day.

"Glad to see you made it! Did the sheets stick to you this morning missy? Hurry up, you have a lot of linens to get to! Those things aren't going to wash themselves!" She said, throwing you the biggest one there. You simply smiled and gave her a respectful nod as soon as you caught it, and went straight to work.  
You had a long time to think about what had happened that morning as you began with your work, gathering every single piece of linen that you could find and preparing for the daunting task of washing each one individually.  
At least you knew that after doing this, you'd have to wash up to serve the royal family their supper. And that only meant one thing to you: Iroh.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Fire Lord Azulon pinched the bridge of his nose as he began to feel the telltale signs of a coming headache. He sat in his study, going over the various battle layouts his top generals had sent to him in proposition. Although he loved the thought of gaining more territory within the Earth Kingdom, it all seemed like such a waste of resources if he couldn't have Ba Sing Se. The latest plan presented to him layed out the strategy for taking a large land bridge that connected smaller villages to Omashu, thus pressuring the mighty city to intervene or lose their major connection to the rest of the Kingdom. 

"My heart isn't in this today." He grumbled, and set the scrolls aside. 

"What's the matter dear?" Asked his wife Ilah as she opened the door to the study and walked in holding a cup of tea.

"It's nothing." Said the Fire Lord, sitting up straight in his mahogany chair.

"It's that headache of yours, isn't it?" She asked, setting down the cup of tea on hishis desk.  
Azulon sighed and nodded, taking the cup and taking a sip.

"Is it anything I can help you with?" She asked, going behind her husband and taking it upon herself to rub his shoulders, releasing some of the pressure that made the muscles there clench tight.

"No, not really. I have to look over and approve of a major battle plan from general Xan. And on top of that, the sages keep pestering me regarding Iroh."

"Oh? You mean…"

"Yes, the sages think that it would be foolish to keep postponing his search for a proper wife."  
Ilah sat on the arm rest of her husband's chair, and began to gently stroke his graying hair.

"But Iroh's so busy with all of the campaigns he's supposed to undertake in the Earth Kingdom. Couldn't this wait?" 

"No Ilah. I've put this off for far too long. Iroh is the heir to the throne of the Fire Nation. The fact that he has things to attend to in the armed forces doesn't warrant the avoidance of marriage. After all, I was no older than Iroh when I married you, my dear." Said Azulon, reaching over to his wife and rubbing her arm tenderly. She smiled at him and bent down to kiss his forehead.

"You're right. We found happiness together, and Iroh will too."

"My father made an extraordinary decision when he picked you for my wife." 

"Oh Azulon, you romantic you." Giggled Ilah, draping her arms around her husband's shoulders, leaning her head down to press her cheek on his.

"It may not have been easy at first, but now I'm so thankful to Agni for illuminating my father's mind and guiding you to me."

"And lord Agni will illuminate your mind to choose what's best for our country and our son." 

"Do you have any young ladies in mind?" 

" As a matter of fact, yes, a few."

 

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

"Geez, general Iroh is really giving us hell today." Moaned a soldier who was sitting on the sidelines of a large firebending arena where Iroh was sparring with multiple opponents. 

"You're telling me… he damn near burned my hair right off my head. Good thing I was able to deflect his attack." Said another young soldier, puffing his chest to seem a bit more confident in his statement than he actually was.

"Pfft, you didn't deflect anything! If the general had wanted to, he would have scalped you right then and there." Said the first soldier, who was now regaining some of his strength back. 

"Yeah well… look at him! He's so pumped up today, I wonder what's up?" Said the second soldier. Just then, they saw a huge plume of fire, and another one of their companions fly through the air, wailing before he finally hit the ground and scrambled out of the arena.

"See?! Did you see that?"

" Yeah! Go general Iroh!" Cheered the first soldier. 

The rest of the soldiers followed suit and cheered Iroh on as he was surrounded by five of his soldiers, who all attacked him. Iroh smiled and split through the stream of fire the one directly in front of him and taking a hold of his arm, Iroh swung the young man around and knocked him out with a swift kick that sent him tumbling to the ground. Iroh shot fire from his fingertips at two other soldiers and sent a kick to the other standing in front of him, scorching their uniforms and distracting them enough to get a few good punches in to knock them out.  
Iroh noticed the fifth and youngest soldier clam up and drop to the ground, playing dead so that Iroh wouldn't attack him. Iroh laughed a great laugh at the young man's tactics, and he went to each of his fallen soldiers to help them up.

"Great job men. I think that was a good sparring session, wouldn't you say?" Said Iroh to his company of men, who all cheered in agreement. 

"Get some rest, tomorrow we'll be up for round two."  
In response, his men saluted him, but he swore he heard a grumble here and there.

"Dismissed."  
Indeed, Iroh felt the extra jolt of energy coursing through him. Not only that, his soldiers had seen it. They also saw that lingering smile that came suddenly to the prince's lips seemingly out of nowhere.  
They could see the twinkle in his eye, the joy in his laughter.  
A few had said that the prince was sipping one too many cups of tea, but most just credited the surge of energy to his new title.  
But only one person knew what was really going on.

In his chambers, the youngest prince began to get ready for his supper. He had spent the entire day lounging in his bedroom, thinking about what a thrill last night had been, but also about how foolhardy it would be to do that to his fantasy prey.

Ozai knew full well that even if he loathed the thought, you were now under Iroh's protection, and even if Ozai managed to drag you into his bedroom and have his way with you, he'd have to face his brother's wrath.  
No, Ozai was no coward, but he was cunning. It hit him that the perfect tool to really break his brother was now the love he harbored for you.  
He grinned with malice at the thought that crossed his mind, and just like that, a plan was born.

"To really break a man, you must shatter his heart…"

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆


	16. Azulon's Mysteries

"Its just always like this with you people, you can never be precisely on time can you? It amazes me that somehow we can get everything put together for the royal family on a daily basis. Agni help me!" Scolded Hildreth as she wal It's ked around the kitchen and saw to the preparations for supper,  
You knew that everything was marching along just fine, and you even smiled at the routine scolding you all recieved from Hildreth. That just seemed to be her way of saying 'good job'. 

"You know you're serving supper tonight, right?" She asked, suddenly behind you and pretty close to you. You jumped and spun around to see her staring at you with a pronounced frown.

"Of course Hildreth, I'm almost finished with the preparations. All I have left to do is to-"

"Whatever it is I'm sure you'd be doing a lot faster if you'd quit your yapping. Hurry along, the Fire Lord will surely be at the table any second! And our Fire Lord doesn't like to be kept waiting. " She said through narrow eyes at you as you quickened your pace and picked up your tray full of sliced fruits and a kettle full of tea. The aroma of the sweet grapes and apple-melons and the delightful tea filled the air around you and you took a deep breath, allowing all of the aroma to wash over you.

"I'll serve my prince the best looking ones…" you thought, and the thought of premeditated mischief made you giggle as you walked towards the grand dining room. You pushed on the revolving door with your foot, and carefully walked into the crimson and gold hallway that led to your destination. 

You gently hummed a happy tune as you thought about how in a few short minutes, you'd be able to see your prince. Butterflies flooded your stomach, and there was nothing you could do to keep them at bay. You simply allowed yourself a smile and continued on, turning the corner of the big entryway to the dining room, when suddenly something caught your attention. 

The huge wooden table with gold etching and intricate carvings rested at the very center of the room, and right in his regal looking chair sat the Fire Lord. You froze at first, completely caught off guard by his presence. He was never this early…  
Your palms began to feel clammy and your heart began to beat away nervously against your ribcage. What was he doing here? Why did he look so serious? Was he there because he knew?! Did they see your encounter with the prince?!! Was he there to put you in your place?!!! Or worse… were guards on their way to haul you away and have you whipped and…

"Ahem…"   
The sound of the Fire Lord clearing his throat and looking at you with a confused and annoyed expression completely snapped you out of your frantic thoughts. You looked down at your tray and saw that you were trembling hard and that your breath was coming in tight little bursts. You blushed because you were almost certain that your eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets as well. You shuffled over quickly to the serving table next to the royal table and set down your serving tray quickly before kneeling down and bowing your head before the Azulon.

"Forgive me my Lord, I didn't expect to see you. Please forgive me for not showing due reverence. It will not happen again." You said, your head still down and your eyes firmly shut. 

"Indeed, such a strange child you are. But I suppose you committed no real trespass. You may rise." Said Azulon with a surprisingly amused tone. You slowly raised your gaze and quickly stood up, making sure that you weren't trembling any longer and that your garments weren't clinging to unsightly places on your body. 

"Thank you my Lord. May I serve you some tea before supper?" You asked as you felt yourself slowly unwind and relax. 

"Well… maybe just a cup." Said Azulon as if in an afterthought. 

"With pleasure my Lord." You said as you carefully poured a cup of steaming tea from the kettle. As soon as you served him his tea, Azulon took the cup and took a small sip. You carried the kettle back to its spot on the serving table, but now you were unsure of what to do. This was usually the time when you'd be placing all of the silverware in their places, and arranging the fruits on the table for the royal family.…   
But with the Fire Lord here, would he mind?   
You looked to your serving table, and then back at the main table and then at the floor, trying to decide what to do.

"I can see that my presence here interferes with your work… Why do you look so unsure? Do what you must, pretend as if I am not here." He said again with that harsh voice of his, although you were sure that he wasn't trying to be mean.

"Yes my Lord, I… I simply did not wish to disturb you."   
You said, stirring into action as soon as those words were uttered. Quick as you could, you put everything in its place. You managed a smile when you placed the best looking plate of fruit in the place Iroh usually took. You took a quick glance at Azulon, who was absent mindedly stirring at his tea. He took a quick sip and you saw his nose scrunch up in dislike. You wondered what it was that made him do that, when suddenly he took a breath and let out super heated air out of his mouth, warming his tea.  
Yet, you saw that he still looked troubled. He let out a heavy sigh, and set his cup of tea down. 

"Another cup my lord?" You asked.   
Azulon did not reply, he simply shook his head and set the cup aside for you to take. As soon as you took the cup, a question formed in your mind, and before common sense could stop you you opened your mouth to speak. 

"My lord, is something troubling you?" 

Azulon looked up at you, his eyes bearing a mix of surprise and something like being caught off guard by the simple question.

"I… excuse me?" He said, the surprise in his voice morphing into annoyance and quickly becoming disbelief at how bold the little servant girl was.

You quickly bowed your head, and slapped yourself mentally for being so nosey, but even worse was the fact that this was the Fire Lord himself that you were talking to. 

"Please, I ask in the sincerest concern my lord, I meant not a single grain of disrespect." You managed to say without many cracks in your voice. You wondered internally how angry he looked, how angry he felt.  
You mustered enough courage to look up at him, and while his brow was still creased with heavy emotion, he did not look angry.

"I see. I thank you for your concern child, but indeed it is nothing that you can help me with." 

"I understand, and once again, please excuse my intrusion into your matters… I know that I cannot help you my Lord, but I have faith that Agni will illuminate your mind and help you make the clearest and best choice."

Azulon looked at you for several seconds, as if he were thinking over what you said and wondered whether or not to consider your words or dismiss them.

"I pray it to be so." He said. You nodded once, and just at that moment, lady Ilah made her way into the dining room. You bowed your head before her and she quickly dismissed the formality in favor of making a beeline towards her husband. 

"Darling, there you are!" You heard her say as you exited the room and went back down the hallway and into the kitchen.

"Where else would I be dear?" Asked Azulon with a small smile as his wife leaned over and kissed his cheek tenderly. 

"Well I had been looking for you all over the palace to walk to dinner together but… well, I suppose that's all done with now. Why are you here darling? You're never one to be early." Said Ilah as she took her seat next to her husband. 

"I figured I'd be able to come here and be alone to think for a few moments. By myself I mean."

"Ah… the fire sages are being relentless, am I right?" 

"Exactly right."

"You'll find the right woman for our son my darling, don't tire yourself out so."  
Ilah took a hold of Azulon's hand and squeezed tight, reassuring him of her confidence in him. No sooner had Ilah pulled away, Azulon let out a sigh.

"The thing is dear, that I already have." 

 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

 

Iroh heard the murmurs and resentful grunts of his soldiers when he was leaving the training grounds, and they always managed to put a smile on his face. He knew that maybe he was being too hard on them, but they'd survive. After all, that's what he was training them for. 

"Great day general, you really gave us hell out there today again." Said a rising soldier he knew only as Jee. The soldier who seemed to be not much younger than him stood firm and proceeded to give Iroh his best and sharpest salute. 

"I try my best. At ease soldier, you did great today. You were one of the only ones that was able to land a blow." Iroh chuckled and made a mental note to cut back on sounding so cocky next time.

"You've been on a roll general Iroh, what's your secret?" Asked the young soldier with obvious interest.

"No real secret." Replied Iroh quickly, almost too quickly. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, feeling suddenly that it was too tight around his neck. Even the air around him seemed to have gotten just a bit hotter.   
"Is it just me or did it get a little hotter all of a sudden?" 

"Uh… actually general, you're making it hotter." Said Jee as he stepped back and put a little distance between him and the general. Upon realizing what he was doing, Iroh got control over his bending again and grinned.  
He didn't ever stop to consider the fact that a question like that even warranted getting frazzled over, but there he was, practically turning himself into a human oven. He wouldn't be surprised if someone would actually be able to fry an egg on his forehead at that point.

"So it seems… I... I should be going now soldier, dinner time draws near and the stomach knows it." Said Iroh, rubbing at his stomach to illustrate the point.

"Right, right… Pardon me for keeping you from dinner sir. I had best be getting along." Said Jee, once again assuming his saluting stance and gave him another salute before marching off in the opposite direction.   
Iroh only smiled and quickly made his way back to his chambers, quickly freshened up, and made his way in the direction of the dining hall.

While he tried his hardest to seem aloof, he wasn't doing a very hood job. He would occasionally look around the corners, scan his surroundings with much care and focus. If anybody noticed, he hardly cared, but even if they did it didn't matter. He was beginning to feel a tinge of disappointment at the idea that perhaps he wouldn't be able to see you today. He rounded the corner to take the long way to the dining room and he was getting close to his destination where his parents would surely be waiting by now, when something caught his eye.

He focused his gaze, and there, coming out of the kitchen door, was the one person that lit his heart up. It was you, at last!  
You had your eyes fixed on the tray you were carrying and didn't notice him at first, but it was only a matter of moments before you felt his eyes on you. You looked up from your charge, and immediately the sight of him sent a jolt of joy through you. You almost wanted to drop what you had in your hands and run to him but you knew there was no way you could, so instead you gave him the most loving smile he could ever remember somebody giving him. He picked up his pace and almost dashed to you, lost in his emotions, wondering when it was that he had turned into what he had become, a man driven by love. So eager he was to just scoop you up into his embrace, that he didn't even think to check if the coast was clear.

"Iroh, where are you going?" Iroh froze as he heard his father's booming voice echo from the dining room. His eyes shot to you, and his heart twisted in his chest when he saw the frightened expression of your lovely face. You took a step back since you too were almost bounding towards him, and didn't bother to consider that you were in plain sight.  
Iroh could have kicked himself in that moment, because he had very nearly endangered your well being, maybe even your very life. Iroh turned quickly on his heel, and he faced his father.

"Oh, nothing at all father. I was simply… I noticed a strange stain here on the wall, and I was wondering where it had come from." Said Iroh, hoping that he was doing well at hiding how shaken he actually felt.

"Stain? That's odd, why would you pay any mind to some stains on the wall? If anything, that just means that the servants aren't doing their jobs." Said Azulon, just as yoi had regained use of your legs and walked into the dining room.  
"You" Azulon declared staring right at you "My son says a stain has formed on a wall. Clean it up as soon as you're done here." He ordered. You nodded meekly, and promised to look into cleaning the stain. You shot Iroh a tiny smile to let him know that you were going along with his story, but all you could see was that his demeanor had changed, and his brows furrowed. 

"It isn't her fault father." Iroh said sternly.   
Azulon looked at his son somewhat puzzled and cleared his throat.

"Regardless of whose fault it was, I ordered her to clean the stain."   
Before Iroh could reply, you spoke;

"Of course, your excellency. Prince Iroh, may I serve you some tea?" You asked him in your most polite yet most detached voice.

"Oh, uh… yes, that would be nice." Said Iroh, offering you his charming smile. You gave him a slight bow and waited as he took his seat. As soon as you were done serving him, you felt another person enter the dining room, and you looked to see who it could have been.  
You quickly looked away as soon as you saw him, the youngest prince.   
He smiled at you, but a smile so sharp and sour it made your skin crawl. He sat where he always sat, and looked at you expectantly. You quickly got the hint and served him his tea, and thanked the stars that the rest of the staff came in to serve the meal for the evening. 

You stood by the table in case anybody from the royal family needed anything, and took advantage of every moment you were so certain that nobody was looking to send Iroh a smile, which he would quickly return.

"So, when are you leaving?" Ozai asked his brother as he pricked a grape with a sharp chopstick and brought it up to his mouth.  
Azulon and Ilah both looked at their youngest wide eyed at first and then with disapproving eyes, which the young prince ignored. You knew that it was wrong to listen in on their conversations but…   
You tried your hardest to keep your face unassuming and neutral, but inside you were sad to already know the answer to Ozai's question.

"Ahem… well, I'm leaving in about three weeks time brother. I'm going to the western front, where hopefully we gain more ground in order to pressure the Earth Kingdom into surrendering one of their most important ports." Said Iroh in a very direct and matter of fact kind of way.

"A huh. Interesting. " said Ozai and for the briefest moment looked straight at you and smiled again. You averted his gaze and pretended like you didn't see him, but the truth was that you did, and you didnt like that look not one little bit.

The meal went along as usual, with their customary chatter and long pauses. After a while, the youngest prince stood from his seat and curtly excused himself while, and soon after the Fire Lord and lady did the same.  
You picked up their plates as they said their goodbyes to their son, who had not finished his meal yet. 

As soon as they were gone, Iroh stood up, and walked towards you slowly, looking around to make sure that the coast was clear. While nobody was watching, being that Iroh was a man of tactics, you saw him quickly raise his hands and you were suddenly in the dark. Iroh bent away the fire of the lanterns so that the two of you would be hidden by a shroud of darkness.  
Your heart began to race as the feeling of being alone with the man you loved once again filled your mind and you could finally get a grasp of it. Before you knew it, you felt his strong, firm arms snake around your waist, and you felt his warm breath tickle your ear before he planted a gentle kiss on your cheek. 

"Oh… how I've missed you my rose." He whispered. You felt a tingle rush up your spine upon hearing his smoky voice.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you." You said, pulling him in closer to you and wrapping your arms around his neck. You placed your fingertips gently on his face, and mapped out the handsome features, seeing them perfectly in your mind. Your fingers found his lips, and you closed in for a kiss, a gentle one that would show him just how much you loved him. Iroh squeezed you tighter in his arms and deepened the kiss, reveling in the exquisite taste of your lips that he missed so much every second of every day.

You broke away from his lips, extracting a small moan of protest from him, buy what you did next more than made up for your indiscretion. You began to kiss his cheek like you did at first, and slowly made your way down his chiseled jaw. You felt him let out a heavy breath, and felt a little proud of yourself even though you knew that such behavior was unbecoming of a lady. Just before you reached his neck, your original goal, the two of you froze upon hearing a door open not too far from there. You heard chatter and you knew it was the wait staff coming to collect the remaining plates and tablecloths.

"They're coming! You whispered in a small panic.

"We'll see eachother soon my love." He said, and you were suddenly without his warmth but quickly back in the light as your price bent all of the fire back to the lanterns. You looked around, and he was nowhere in sight.  
You brushed yourself off and shuffled around pretending like you were doing something as soon as your coworkers walked in.

"Hey, weren't the lights just off? What…" said another one of the woman on the wait staff group. You could only smile and try to hide your blushing face.

"No, I don't know what you're talking about, I've been here the whole time." You insisted. They looked at eachother somewhat confused but let the matter go.  
You helped them pick up, but all the while your heart never stopped racing ad the smile couldn't fade from your lips.   
You were in for a dream filled night indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a little different for me! Azulon and our character interaction was a little scary to write but I hope you liked it. Plus, a little more intimate action with Iroh here... did you like or not? Please let me know what you think! Thank you so much for reading, many blessings to all!


	17. Free Thine Self

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> So here in this chapter we start to see some definite changes that could rock everybody's happiness!   
> Also please note that things start to heat up here and there lol.  
> I'm currently working on that, and hopefully you'll like that!  
> But for now, enjoy this fresh new chapter!

"Azulon darling, where are you going?" Asked lady Ilah when she opened her eyes and noticed that her husband was not in bed. No, Azulon was up before the sun had even begun to rise, which was very, very unusual. Azulon was preparing himself for something, having risen so early to dress.  
He turned to give his wife a somewhat stern smile and sighed.

"Today I pay a visit to governor Qi's estate."

"Governor Qi? He's the governor of one of our eastern provinces, right? The one that sent that special team with Iroh to the earth kingdom this summer?"

"Correct dear. " He said as he finished adjusting his golden collar.

"I see… but what ever for darling? A visit this early in the morning, why, I find it quite unusual." Ilah said as she made her way from out of the silky sheets of their bed.

"Yes, its a strange hour for a visit, but I am not going just to visit Ilah. No, today is the day that I will meet her, our future daughter in law."

 

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

 

"Iroh, we shouldn't be doing this here." You whispered in Iroh's ear as he kissed your cheek. You heard him chuckle as quietly as he could, and just then he squeezed you tight. He brought up his gaze, and his eyes locked with yours. He couldn't help the smile that formed on his face, but it was inevitable when he was with you.

He was passing through the courtyard of the southern garden when he saw you with a basket full of linens, going about your duties, probably to the laundry pool. He ran as fast as he could to sneak into a cramped little corridor and waited until you passed close enough so that he could grab you and quickly pull you in. He hated to do that because he knew you'd be frightened, but it was his only chance of being with you that moment. He smiled to himself when he thought about how you gasped and almost screamed the moment he grabbed you, but how you beamed at him and hugged him so tight, asking him to not scare you like that.

"I know… I know but… you have a sway over me unlike anybody else ever has… when I'm close to you, its like…"

"Like all logical thoughts and actions stop?" You offered, knowing exactly how that felt.

"Yes. That's it." He said, sweeping a lock of your hair away from your face before giving you a sweet kiss. You kissed him back in earnest, earning another tight squeeze from him. You kissed for what seemed to be only a few short minutes when in fact almost an hour had passed since he snatched you up. You could hear his breath becoming heavy and when you broke away from the kiss, you saw his eyes glazed over and dark, so dark that his irises were almost completely gone. Seeing him like that sparked something in you like never before, and the desire to press closer and closer to him was almost unbearable. You kissed his sharp jawline and felt an ill-conceived shiver rock his body. Just when you wanted to begin kissing the pale skin of his neck, you felt him stiffen, and grab on to your shoulders and press himself against the stony wall, listening. You wondered what had happened, and suddenly you too felt uneasy. 

"Someone is coming…" he said quietly, and gave you a small peck.

"I have to go my rose." He said, giving your forehead a quick kiss and a hug before sneaking out of the corridor. You waited a moment until he left, and only a few minutes had passed and you saw somebody walk by. You sighed and listened close until you were satisfied that nobody was around anymore. You gathered your linen basket and step by tiny step, you peeked out from your hiding spot and made extra sure nobody was around. 

"Phew…"   
You took a quick look over your shoulder to make sure that nobody had seen, when you felt yourself crash into something directly in front of you, making you drop your linen basket. You gasped when you realized in complete horror that you hadn't bumped into something, rather someone.   
And that someone was none other than the younger prince himself.   
You stood there, dumbfounded and feeling a mix of fear and confusion, unable to do or say anything until you saw a smile stretch on his face.  
That creepy smile lingered on his lips, and he neither did or said anything for a short moment, he only looked down at you with that smile.  
Something in you made your stomach do flips and cartwheels and that horrible uneasy feeling came over you again.

"M--m-my prince, please forgive me, I did not see you." You said, throwing yourself down on the ground to pick up the now dusty linens and place them in your basket, just as you regained the ability to think like a normal human again.  
Ozai said nothing for a minute, and you shot your gaze up, wondering what was going on. The smile was gone now, all you managed to see was that his stony, chiseled face was flat and serious now. 

"Oh? You didn't see me? Well, I suppose that's alright. So many distractions in this world, wouldn't you agree?" He asked, and you felt yourself wish more and more that he'd leave you alone. 

"I- I mean, yes. Many." You replied, hoping that your voice wasn't shaking too badly. He studied you for a moment and he smirked. 

"You haven't seen my brother around here by any chance have you?" 

Immediately, you felt your heartbeat increase speed.

"Prince Iroh? I- I think I saw him umm… he- the prince-"

"You think you saw him? You either did or you didn't." Ozai pressed.

"Please forgive me, I didn't mean- what I meant was that I… was carrying my linens and I... I dropped them?" You said, feeling the blood begin to drain from your face as you realized how idiotic you must sound. You looked everywhere but his face, afraid to see anger bubble from his eyes. You worked up the nerve to look at him, but to your surprise, it wasn't anger you saw in his eyes. It was amusement. Sheer, simple amusement.   
. 

"I see." He said, taking a step towards you. You pressed the large basket harder against your hip and felt yourself shrink as he got closer to you. You looked up at him, your eyes begging him to just leave you alone.   
He took another step forward, catching you by surprise. So much so, that you instinctively took a step back.  
"So if what your telling me is true, why did I see him come out of this little hidden corridor? Funny, you should have at least bumped into him, since you came out of it too."   
You froze, and immediately your eyes widened to the size of saucers. You looked up into the ironically cold golden eyes and looked like you were ready to start begging for mercy. You didn't even notice the fact that he had backed you into the very entrance of the corridor he was refering to. Your eyes were wide and beginning to tear up, but you couldn't tear your eyes away from his.

"Prince Ozai... I - I"   
But before you could say anything further, Ozai grabbed your arm very, very tightly and pushed you in to the small opening. You were caught completely off guard by his swift, strong movements. You gasped, and almost screamed because this was the person that made you the most uneasy in the world and here he was, man handling you to the point where his fingers gripped you, you were already getting sore.

"What is it, little rose?" Said Ozai through a mocking smirk.   
What little blood was left in your face emptied completely, fleeing somewhere else as you felt yourself go cold with distress and disbelief.   
He knew.   
Prince Ozai knew.   
He knew and he was probably going to let everyone know what he knew.  
Everything flew through your mind.  
Should you deny it?   
Ozai's iron grip softened some, and he let you stand there in disbelief, enjoying the moment more than he thought he would. He had you right where he wanted you, he couldn't have asked for a better scenario.   
Just as he was walking by the edge of the courtyard, he saw Iroh discreetly sneak away from that spot. He had to hand it to his brother, he was quite ballsy for doing what he was doing practically in plain sight. He couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to put his plans into motion. To waste that, well, that would have been the real tragedy. 

"What's the matter?" He asked. 

"My prince, please… please have mercy on me." You said in a shaky voice as the gravity of the situation finally settled in.

"Mercy? So you're saying its true?" 

"Yes, yes, I beg of you my prince. Not for me, only for him please." You said, your voice already starting to break no matter how hard you tried to keep it together. You sunk down to your knees as you looked up at him with imploring eyes.   
Ozai's jaw tensed for just a moment when he realized that the sight of you on your knees before him was a lovely one indeed. But he knew he had to keep calm. A clear head was what he needed now. Instead, he lowered himself and was kneeling in front of you, to the point where his eyes were staring perfectly into yours. He took a hold of your hand, where he noted that it was smaller than his, how it fit perfectly in his hand.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to tell a soul. If that was my intention, I'd have done so ages ago." He said, slowly pressing you against his chest. A wave of deep seeded thrist for you churned just beneath the surface, but he was confident in that he'd be able to control himself. 

"What?" You squeaked out.   
Ozai rolled his eyes and gave you another squeeze. 

"For being a supposed tactical genius, my brother isn't much for subtlety. If I were him, I wouldn't be risking your precious life, you see." He said.  
You meekly looked up at him, and asked; 

"How long have you known my prince?" 

"Long enough…"   
You sobbed quietly, and he pressed you to his chest.

"Does anybody else know?"   
Ozai studied your face for a moment, knowing full well the anxiety that racked you.

"No. Only me." 

"Oh Agni..." 

"There there… don't be afraid. I'd never hurt you… No, I' your friend precious one, I'll protect you… Trust me." he whispered as he stroked your soft hair. He stayed like that for a moment, just stroking your hair, taking in exactly how good it felt. He heard your quiet sobs, he felt you shake with each inhalation of air.   
You finally wrapped your arms around him in absolute gratitude for him promising to keep your secret. You felt such relief and guilt at the same time for having ever mistrusted him.   
He was a good person.   
As soon as Ozai felt your arms wrap around him, a great wave of depraved lust flooded his body. He imagined how wonderful you must feel, how lovely you must look trembling in awe at his power, how he could snap you in half or burn you to ashes without a second thought if he so desired. What a delightful little toy he could mold you into… So sweet. So soft and gentle, docile and beautiful… Servant girls… never missed. You in particular drove him insane, putting his restraint and composure to the test. Oh, such a pity nobility didn't breed girls like you. His mouth began to water at the thoughts, and he gave you a final squeeze before pushing you away, albeit with reluctant effort.

"Thank you. You're a merciful and great man. Thank you so much, I'm so grateful to you my prince." You said, wiping your tears away.

"You're welcome… so grateful you are."

"Yes, I'm so grateful prince Ozai... thank you."

"You should go now, before anyone else comes around." He said, wiping away the last pf your tears with his thumbs. You smiled at him and took the edge of his regal crimson robe, and kissed it.

"Yes, my prince."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh!!!!  
> That little rat Ozai's made his first move!!!  
> Please tell me what you think!


	18. First Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, its been a while! 
> 
> Hey everyone :)   
> Here's my newest chapter, I really hope you enjoy it.   
> I broke it into two chapters since it was so long so the next one will be posted soon :)

The ride to the governor's estate was a long one, and one that Azulon wasn't much looking forward to. While Qi governed the eastern province of New Sozin which was one of the larger and more developed provinces in his nation, the man's estate was on the side of the mountain that flanked the city.

"Lord Azulon, we're nearing the Qi estate." Said his accompanying advisor. Azulon simply nodded.   
He heard his advisor chattering away something about governor Qi and how odd the man was for something or another. Azulon wasn't even half paying attention to the man seated beside him. No, the Fire Lord was wrapped up   
In what he was about to do. After many months of carefully considering who should be the bride of his eldest son, it was the quiet poise and grace of governor Qi's youngest daughter that caught his attention.  
It was during Iroh's ceremonial acceptance of his title of youngest general in Fire Nation history… yes, it was there that he saw that graceful young woman shyly looking up at his son, with a mixture of awe and respect. He sensed such a profound and honest sweetness in her gaze that he knew she was the one. She held an air of effortless elegance all through even her smallest movements that reminded the him of his wife Ilah in all her regal poise. He observed the girl from his throne in the crowded ballroom carefully that day. Indeed, he felt that she would be the ideal wife for his pride and joy… 

 

"My lord?"   
Azulon's brow creased with irritation upon hearing his advisor, who was named Lai interrupt his thoughts. 

"Yes?" 

"We're nearing our destination my lord, should I signal our horsemen to ride ahead to signal your arrival at the governor's estate?"

"Of course. Why must you even seek my approval to do so? Must I hold your hand through all of these tiny decisions? Should I assign someone to help you so you can help yourself?" Said Azulon harshly to his advisor, who had by now turned a sickly shade of green. The man struggled to find words to respond to Azulon, taken completely by surprise by the Fire Lord's sudden outburst.

"Forgive me my Lord, I..."  
Before the man could continue, Azulon stopped him mid-sentence. 

"No no… please, excuse me. I… I shouldn't have spoken to you that way Lai. Please, give the signal." Said Azulon as he pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping that he wouldn't be getting a headache. He was nervous. Honest to goodness anxious and irritable. He regretted snapping at Lai, but he was far to anxious over his shaky confidence.  
Lai did as he was told, and Azulon could hear the horsemen accompanying them race ahead and sounding their horns to announce a visit from the highest power in the land.  
Azulon pulled back the fabric that covered the windows of his carriage. He took a moment to let his eyes adjust to the glare of the sun, and he looked at the passing scenery. Yes, this man loved the country side. All around, he saw fire lilies being eaten by small clusters of young panda sheep. The pungent aroma of lavender hit him next as he saw the vast fields of the flower flank the smoothed dirt road that lead to a grand, gated estate that sat at the very edge of the mountains that loomed over the fields of flora all around. 

He heard then a second horn sound off in the distance, one whose distinct sound signaled their welcome. He saw the dirt road give way to a cobblestone one, and once again the welcoming horn went off much closer this time.

"Quite impressive I must say…" said Lai in a quiet voice, and Azulon has to agree. The intricately designed iron gate slowly began to open, and beyond it, the estate was just as impressive. It all seemed to work around the natural setting it was built into, with the cobblestone road having shoots of grass poke through, and even the home itself was made right into the face of the mountain. It was marvelously designed as well, exceptional craftsmanship apparent in every detail of every archway, every single step of the grand stone staicase that led into the house proper. Azulon could only guess how long it would have taken smiths and builders to create his home. 

"Wonder how much it cost old Qi to build this mini palace..." said Lai, with a peppering of almost casual skepticism. Azulon knew Lai wanted to make him question where Qi had obtained the funds to build his home. He almost chuckled at that, but he knew Qi hadn't funded this grand home with stolen or ill earned income. No, in fact, Qi's province had been showing the best signs of economic growth in the nation. Azulon knew full well that Qi came from an affluent family with enough wealth to be able to afford this and more without needing to steal.  
He put away his thoughts away for the time being.   
Now, he was finally there. He'd reached his destination and he felt much more confident being there.

After a few moments of awkward fumbling to exit the carriage, he was on solid ground. He allowed himself a brief moment to stretch his cramping legs, when he heard heavy footsteps approach from his left. 

"My lord, it is a true honor to have you bless my humble home with your presence. " Said a deep voice, and Azulon looked up to see the owner of the home get closer before bowing deeply before him. He was a very tall man lean and pale skinned with graying hair that was gathered into a topknot and a matching beard to boot. His face was beginning to wrinkle especially round his brilliant amber eyes that emitted warmth and a charismatic character. 

"Thank you for receiving me governor. I must say that while the trip here was long, it was well worth it. Your home is grand, governor, very grand."

" Thank you my lord, coming from you, the compliment is much more meaningful. Oh, but, let's not stand here outside. Please, come in. Consider my home your home."

After a few more customary formalities, Azulon found himself alone in the governor's grand family room with the man himself. As he poured Azulon some fine chamomile tea into a small white cup, the governor began to relax noticeably. 

"My lord, what brings you to my home this wondrous day?"   
Azulon took a small sip from his cup, set it down and he rose from the plush chair where he had been resting. He walked towards one of the large crystal windows and he took a deep breath.

"Yes, my visit was quite unexpected, wasn't it? For this, I apologize. "

"No, no! I'm honored to have you in my home my lord, please forgive me if I offended you with my inquiry. "

"Thank you governor. Your words haven't offended me. Please don't think that. No, actually, I came here to give you some news that I hope from the bottom of my heart that you'll take with joy."

"Please, do tell my lord." Said Qi with suppressed anxiety and quite apparent curiousity.

"I came here to inquire on whether or not you would accept my son, prince Iroh to court your daughter."

Qi looked dumbfounded for the smallest fraction of a second, when suddenly he smiled wide and he too rose up from his seat. 

"Prince Iroh? My daughter? Why… why of course! That's fantastic news my lord, and I humbly thank you for considering my precious daughter worthy of your son." Qi once again bowed deeply before Azulon. 

"May I speak with your daughter?" 

"Of course, right away." Said the man as he rushed to another part of his home. Azulon waited for a while, wondering if this would take much longer when he noticed Qi coming back, his daughter at his side with her hands around her father's forearm.   
Azulon was taken aback by seeing the young woman up close. She was positively lovely, a vision of feminine beauty.  
She had the same pale skin and golden eyes her as her father, but her eyes held the smallest flashes of deep, rich copper and flecks of green that Azulon found captivating. She was radiant in her deep red robes that made her look like she was gliding over the air rather than walking.   
She bowed before Azulon when they were close enough to him. After the short formality, she rose from her bow and looked up from the ground, but she didn't dare look into the eyes of the fire lord. Instead, she looked at his gold medallion which hung around his neck.

"Hello child, what is your name?" 

After just a touch of hesitation, the girl spoke up.

"My name is Liu Yin." 

"Liu Yin… I'm glad to meet you."

"And I am honored to be be in your presence, great ruler."  
She was obviously quite shy, but she managed a small smile for Azulon as he tipped her chin to make her face him. 

"Lord Azulon, is what my father said to me true?" She said with eyes so gentle that Azulon knew he had made the right choice.

"Tell me, what did he say to you?"

"My father said that…"   
Liu Yin stopped herself from saying any more as she began to blush. After a moment, she regained some composure and began again.

"My father said that you chose me for yor son. He said that you want me to be his bride. "  
Azulon smiled and gave her a single nod.

"Indeed my child, this is my wish."  
Liu Yin smiled at the Fire Lord and nodded.

"Nothing in this world would make me happier your majesty. If prince Iroh will have me, then I will gladly devote my life to him as his bride." 

"Your words have only made my confidence in my decision even greater. I will come back fair child. "

From afar, the governor looked upon the unfolding scene with pride. Yes, his daughter would make the loveliest Fire Lady in history… 

 

"


End file.
